Comments on: ANZAC anarchists: short-sighted, ignorant

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 01 May 2007 08:09:13 +0000

Mike: I suspect both already have a rather lengthy criminal record! It seems that these anarchists are arrested and get into fights with the police almost every time they protest. Anyway, I think I’ve made a pretty good case here, at Not PC and at Section 14 as to why the arrests didn’t violate any rights to free speech. BTW, I believe they were accused of assaulting cops, and the University is considering whether to lay a trespass order.

Thanks for all the supportive comments. It’s great to be able to come home, write an angry rant and have hundreds of people read it

Subadei, I could ask them about the LRA, FARC and other non-state groups. But I think I know how they would respond. After all, it is “peace” activists like them who put up posters supporting “anti-imperialist” Hezbollah during last years Lebanon war, and who publicly supported and sympathised with the Iraqi “resistance”.

By: MikeE

MikeE — Tue, 01 May 2007 07:17:00 +0000

Can’t say I agree with the arrest personally. What they did disgusted me, but I see it as a freedom of speech issue.

Even though they are pissing all ove rthe memories of the very people who died protecting these said freedoms… arresting them when they harmed noone, harmed no property and tresspassed nowhere is crossing the line.

They deserve to be ridiculed, face discrimination for their actions etc. But they don’t deserve a criminal record… just a bad reputation and the disgust of the general public.

By: Section 14 » Blog Archive » Anzac Day arrests

Section 14 » Blog Archive » Anzac Day arrests — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:21:43 +0000

[...] Phil at Pacific Empire, who was at the Anzac service where the Peace Action protest occurred, blogged his thoughts and explained why he believes the arrests were justified. [...]

By: Pete Mc

Pete Mc — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 04:26:21 +0000

Superbly written and concise. I take comfort from the fact that most people, young or old, are aware of the obvious- war is hell, no-one wants to take part, we owe a massive debt to those who did. Thanks for your writing.

By: Craig D

Craig D — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:31:51 +0000

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Very succinctly summed up in your first bullet points.

Anyone who thinks a solemn parade where veterans remember their long fallen friends is a celebration or a glorification of war is nothing short of completely bonkers.

By: strategist

strategist — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:07:59 +0000

Well said Phil.

By: A.E.

A.E. — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:29:54 +0000

It goes back to my post on protest as a self-indulgent form of performance art. Street theater of “resistance” indeed.

By: subadei

subadei — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:08:37 +0000

That second example regarding the FARC seems a bit over the top and over imaginative. It is a paraphrase of a reference to an unpublished book written by an apparent FARC ex-member in which he recounts some of the horrifying atrocities he saw. The reference came about from Kaplan’s “Imperial Grunts.”

By: subadei

subadei — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 23:01:42 +0000

Next time you run up against these idiots throw a question or two at them. Ask them about the LRA, FARC, and the Tamil Tigers. Enlighten them on the practice of forced mutilation of family members by “conscripted” children into the LRA, the fate of a girl who attempted and was caught escaping conscription into the FARC and shivered, menstruated, defecated uncontrollably and called for her mother as a noose was slipped around her neck or the casual tossing of a grenade into a Buddhist celebration in Sri Lanka.

Better yet, don’t. Let them live their sad, ill informed illusion.

By: A.E.

A.E. — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:03:06 +0000

We have a similar species in the US–”black bloc” anarchists. Even if one has a beef with any of the wars in question, one should have respect for funeral grounds. What bullshit.