[SOC] I'm back from Sydney

[Ian C. Purdie]

Lloyd Lachow wrote:

> I'd a wanted to go to the demo in NY today, but too
> many kids and snow and miles.

Not ideal weather. I just got back from Sydney, what a momentous and emotional
day it's been.

Here in Sydney we had record crowds. I arrived quite early and got right up
front to hear the speakers. I guessed we would probably achieve the hoped for
target of 150,000. By mid-day a nearby lady asked if I thought that number were
present.

Well at that time the cops had given up on trying to keep city traffic and
protesters apart. They simply closed all streets to traffic and the protesters
took over, wall to wall people. I had real fears of people being crushed but
everyone was patient and sensible. Cops were tops.

The "official" estimate?

250,000.

I'd personally say much, much more. Never before have so many ordinary people
taken to the streets and remember the population of Sydney is only around 2
million.

I was told by a number of people that their buses or trains were packed and
pulled into packed stations along the way into the city where no one else could
board trains or buses.

Aerial shots from helicopters show entire city blocks jam packed with
protesters literally wall to wall.

A good day for people power. Same throughout every other Australian capital
city, town, village this weekend.

Now we'll see the mass media denigrate it and our Prime minister say it's of no
consequence. God help them, they have *seriously* misjudged the ordinary
Australian. Clearly polls showing 88% opposition to war aren't misleading.

If war does break out, Sydney will be a powder keg and it'll become very, very
ugly. Emotions are running very high and a government defying majority opinion
is playing with fire.

I hope none of this comes to pass.

BTW - every speaker went to great pains to emphasise this is *NOT*
anti-American, merely anti US, British and Australian administrations.


72/73's

Ian C. Purdie
Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33�14', E151�34'
VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/