Wednesday 29 February 2012

Something New Week #16

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 On Saturday, I did something new and that was to take part in my first protest.  Acta is a big issue at the moment and various protests have been organised across Europe.  Saturday saw the second such protest here in Bremen.

I've seen protests before and it was a fantastic experience to take part this time to support a good cause.  The feeling of community was great especially seeing people I know there taking part too.  I was a little bit worried as protests have been known to lead to trouble but it was absolutely peaceful and went without a hitch. 

We met at the station at 2pm.  Over 3000 people took part and while the majority were younger, there was a good range of people there.  We walked to the town hall where more speeches took place before the march continued.  There was a heavy police presence but not because of any trouble, they helped clear the route for us so that there were no accidents. 

One of the highlights for me (although I know it's not the point of the protest) was the presence of a samba band which really lightened the mood.  One thing I didn't like though was the use of the Guy Fawkes masks.  Maybe it's the influence of horror films over the years, but I found them really creepy.  I feel that if you're not causing any trouble at such an event, you should be happy to show your face, in fact, it's kind of the point of the event - giving your personal support to the cause.

I'm really glad that we took part and it was part of a lovely day for us on Saturday and something I'd definitely do again for the right cause.

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