Monday, November 20, 2006


G20 summit comes to Melbourne!

I know this doesn't seem like something to shout about, but guess what? I actually went to a demonstration / protest for the first time in my life! How deprived right? To actually get all excited about such things? Can't help it if you come from Singapore since in Singapore, you are only allowed to protest inside a 14 x 20 metre box inside suntec city! lol!

So while all the world's most powerful finance minsters including the likes of Ben Bernanke and Paul Wolfowitz gathered inside the Grand Hyatt melbourne, a motly crew of weirdos dressed in all kinds of punk outfits rallied the crowds with their loud hailers and chanted slogons like "stop poverty, stop war, we don't want your racist war!"

there are basically 2 distinct groups of protestors. some are those who genuinely care about the issues pertinent to our world today, such as climate change, poverty, trade imbalances. but the other group is more like a bunch of people making use of this opportunity to cause damage to public property, flaunt their silly cheerleading acts in public, blast satanic heavy metal music in public and to antagonize the police.

there was one point when i saw them breaking the windscreen of the police truck so i decided to go nearer for a better look. suddenly, people started turning back and fleeing for their lives as baton wielding police ran after them. i didn't wanna get trampled over so i just took cover behind a car! haha! that was the one time i actually felt scared shitless for a moment!