They just don't train hippies like they used to...
Thousands of Australian anti-war protesters, many of them students, have pelted police with bottles and chairs. The campaigners in Sydney then hurled more bottles outside the office of Prime Minister John Howard. The protest was the most violent yet against Australia's involvement in coalition attacks on Iraq. Police in riot gear arrested at least 45 people, and one officer was slightly injured when an object thrown by the protesters hit him on the head. The violence broke out after two separate groups of protesters merged outside Sydney's Town Hall and then streamed to the city's Hyde Park, where they chanted anti-war slogans and taunted police. The protesters later headed to Howard's Sydney office, where they again began hurling bottles at police. At least one protester, who suffered a gashed face, was injured. Some of the protesters said they were appalled that violence had broken out during the demonstration. "We should have a voice," said 15-year-old Laura Cunningham. "They are not going to respect what we say if they look at this and think we're all like this."
If you didn't agree with what they were doing, why on earth didn't you throw bottles at them, lass? They ain't gonna listen otherwise...
Earlier, hundreds of protesters burned American flags, set off firecrackers and chanted "No war!" in a noisy demonstration close to the US Consulate. |