Came home about an hour ago, after helping Sacha & Oleg set up their installations for tomorrow. They chose locations far from the mainstream demonstrations to reach a working class neighborhood with many immigrants.
It's below zero here and I'm still chilled to the bone. But reports arethat there were over 100,000 in themain demonstration. The TV news showed demonstrators sitting on the cold asphalt of the road in this weather, hands handcuffed behind them. Oleg, who rode by them on his bicycle coming home, said they had arrested about 900 and they had been sitting there, practically motionless in this bone-chilled weather, with no bathroom or other facilities for hours, as the police ate pizza close by.
This evening, the newscaster described the demonstration as peaceful, like a party. Why then these arrests? The Precautionary Principle at work? Apparently the police cut the demonstration in half and fairly randomly arrested anyone wearing black. In NYC, they wouldn't be able to STOP arresting people if that's the criteria. Apparently, people who live along the site where the arrests were made, have opened their windows and are playing music to hearten the demonstrators.
A traditional party for the NGOs was scheduled at Bella Center tonight. It feels too cold to go out again but I am warmed by the idea that local people wanted to hearten those who stood up for their beliefs, even if they had to sit in the cold road to do so.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment