The second day of the festival began at about 11am - though some hardy protesters had spent the night on the band stage. First off was the Footscray Community Choir with songs in various languages. In the meantime people were getting things ready including the Maribyrnong pinata, which was later scheduled to be smashed open and its contents liberated on the stage:
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There was face-painting, and other sights more sinister:
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Representatives of the main political parties were given a chance to state their parties' position on mandatory detention: The Greens and Socialist Alliance, in the persons of Pamela Curr and David Glanz, were in absolute opposition to the present government's policies; Senator Lyn Allison of the Australian Democrats was unable to come, but a statement from her was read out by Chris Chaplin. Bruce Mildenhall, ALP MLA for Footscray failed to answer repeated calls over the PA, and there was no mention of Liberal, National or the rest...
In the meantime numbers had been growing and had reached several hundred when the time came to march across the road and round to the back of the centre - with a symbolic blocking of the road on the way.(As on the previous day, legal observers from pt'chang were in evidence throughout, as well as first aid officials. Their contribution deserves to be recognised.) The police were clearly taking no chances, as the lineup across the car park shows:
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For a brief moment it looked as if the police might have intended to block access to the student village, but in the event they merely trotted alongside the protesters all the way throught the village and along the perimeter fence, stopping whenever the march stopped. There were no serious attempts to break throught the fence or even to climb over the other fence which had been pushed over the previous day, and after a some speeches and chanting the protest made its way back the same route, vowing to return and keep returning in ever greater numbers until the fence eventually should be pulled down. The compound, as always on such occasions, was deserted, and no response could be heard from inside when the protesters roared "Freedom" and then listened in silence. In the past it has often been possible to hear a clear answering roar, but perhaps the silence this time had something to do with the number of guards on duty. It was also revealed that one detainee had been placed in solitary confienment for the duration of the festival, a blatant move to intimidate anyone who was thought likely to organise any 'trouble' inside .
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The march back ended with a sit-down blockade of the road in protest at the confinement of the detainee mentioned above, but in the meantime various other activities were under way, including signing the Strasbourg banner (for details see the website of No One Is Illegal at http:www.antimedia.net/nooneisillegal) and a soccer match, also courtesy of NOII, and featuring 'the people' vs 'capital':
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'The people' appeared to have youth on their side, but the first goal went to 'Capital'. Soon afterwards, however, the first sign of a collapse occurred, and a stretcher and medic were called for. Unfortunately the eventual outcome of the match is not known, although a source close to the referee was heard to say that 'the people' were sure to win in the end, even if 'capital' was likely to play dirty.
July 2 - word has reached me that the people did indeed win ...
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At about 2.15pm, with the soccer in full swing, and the sit-down protest continuing in the road, a few protesters set about attaching red hearts to the outer gates of the centre, watched by a few police:
