Howard Late for Dinner � anti war action
About 500 people turned up at wealthy Camberwell Civic Centre in Melbourne last night to make John Howard�s life just that little bit more difficult. Howard had planned to arrive for a dinner speech and probably thought he was safe with about 30 police horses and 150 plus police. But a concerted effort to prevent him from getting in to the building kept him seriously late.
On his first attempt, his calvalcade was pelted at close range with eggs and paint bombs and had to retreat and circle the block for about 20 minutes. Attempt two was just as unsuccessful, as a crowd blocked the entrance and swarmed toward the car. His driver floored it, and the car screeched off in a very undignified manner. It must have been at least an hour to an hour and a half later before he finally made it in after his cars sped up and swerved at demonstrators, and then used many horse and police to push through. His car was again hit with eggs, and one person clung to the bonnet of the car for about 50 metres up the driveway, luckily with no injury.
All the while punters gave the arriving well to do of the Camberwell Liberal Party set a piece of their minds, and know doubt put a bit of a dampener on their posh meal. A pretty committed bunch then stayed on until the end of the meal and again blocked Howard as he was trying to leave. One person showed a great example of tactical parking by blocking the exit. The sight of 10 police trying to bounce this car out of the way while protected by mounted police was quite amusing indeed. In the end a truck was called to remove the car.
Howard did get out, but needed about 15 mounted police and 80 or so cops to do so. It was quite an amazing spectacle as he left with the back lighting from the town hall and rows of police, and police on horses protecting him.
The crowd was really diverse and way pissed about the war. This was the best action I have been to in a while and really inspired me. With a few more people and a little more pre planning we could have made it impossible for him to have gotten in.
A few committed organised people can really do lots of damage to the system. In the end that�s what will stop them. When they begin to feel that the system they rule over us with is being threatened. Less speeches, more direct action.
Kudos all.
http://melbourne.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=45074&group=webcast
