a good rally in Hobart today. Some said twenty-five to thirty thousand, I couldn't see that myself, but again, people reckon it's the biggest since the No-Dams campaigns. Bob Brown, Harry Quick and others speaking ... pity the microphone wasn't as good as Melbourne's must have been.

Ralph

>>> Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]> 15/02/2003 10:40:54 am >>>
Went yesterday to the first of the peace rallies this weekend, the
sun rising here first -

they reckon it's the biggest rally ever in Melbourne, bigger than the
rallies at the height of Vietnam Moratorium.  Even the police were
saying it was "more than 100,000" and that they really couldn't
estimate because it was so big.  All of the centre of Melbourne was
completely packed, the whole of Swanston St from one end of the city
to the other blocked with crowds of people.   And all sorts of
people, all ethnicities, ages, classes. Nothing could better
demonstrate the broad sense of disenfrachisement that people feel -
that people are actually getting out on the streets to protest, out
of a feeling that there's no other way to register their objections.
So many people, and no problems, a totally peaceful demonstration.  A
decent sound system so you could actually hear all the speakers.

I came home with a thumping headache from standing in the sun.  But
glad I went.

I didn't see any writers, though I assume they were there.  Strange
thing - whenever I go to these things, where of course inevitably you
bump into people you know, the people I bump into are always actors.
It's probably just my elective affinities.

Here's a nice portrait of me and Josh:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/14/1044927801876.html 

Cheers

A
--


Alison Croggon
Editor
Masthead Online
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/ 

Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/

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