Okay to annoy pilgrims again

[MG1962]

It seems that common sense and a robust legal system have lept to the defense of people who thought the new laws of annoying pilgrims during World Youth Day crossed lines Australians were not ready for

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/wor...8-068cd1f431f0 (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=a2827d9a-07dd-451f-a6e8-068cd1f431f0)

I am a Catholic and a bit of a supporter of the Pope, and even I thought the law was wrong and seemed to come out of left field for no real good reason.

The New South Wales Police will now revert to their standard "Pubic Affront" Laws which will affect pilgrims

[Brainache]

I was surrounded by these papish fools on the train home this week. Bunch of clumbersome oafs in ill fitting beige, they make me want to laugh. The town is overrun with them. Catholics everywhere, it's like a plague...

[MG1962]

Did you complain 8 years ago?

[Brainache]

Did you complain 8 years ago?

They weren't all Catholics then.

Someone reported a T-Shirt to me: The Pope Touched me, Down Under.

[SezMe]

I was surrounded by these papish fools on the train home this week. Bunch of clumbersome oafs in ill fitting beige, they make me want to laugh. The town is overrun with them. Catholics everywhere, it's like a plague...
It's so nice to read a post filled with evidence and devoid of ad homs, name-calling and intolerance. You surely make the JREF fora members proud.

[bellonax]

Did you complain 8 years ago?

What happened 8 years ago?

[MG1962]

Olympics

[lionking]

(To the OP) Well we don't look quite as silly as a couple of days ago. But I see that George Street (Sydney's equivalent of Broadway I suppose) has been closed down so that pilgrims can wander freely without the inconvenience of Sydney-siders going about their business. Now regardless of whether it's catholics, protestants or hare-bloody-krishnas this is wrong.

[MG1962]

(To the OP) Well we don't look quite as silly as a couple of days ago. But I see that George Street (Sydney's equivalent of Broadway I suppose) has been closed down so that pilgrims can wander freely without the inconvenience of Sydney-siders going about their business. Now regardless of whether it's catholics, protestants or hare-bloody-krishnas this is wrong.

I agree - I have no idea what thats all about - They pulled that rubbish with the the APEC conference last year. Turns the city into a giant Texas cage match.

And I am not sure who is meant to be protected from whom. Sydneysiders are pretty laid back about events like this, and the visiting pilgrims are not out to cause trouble.

Sure there are going to be protesters but they have spelled out pretty well what their actions are going to be, and violence does not appear to be part of their plan

[lionking]

I meant to say "closed to traffic" rather than closed down. But regardless, unlike APEC, no security issues here, unless of course the pope himself is going to wander down to Circular Quay.

[MG1962]

Yeah, but it was understandable for APEC because of the real security concerns. None of that here.

Some of the stuff here was truely unimaginable - A solider type, tried to move me on while I was waiting to go in and see my daughter perform at the Rock Estedford, even producing my ticket made no difference.

Then the kids were locked down inside the building, instead of being able to relax in the park next door. Some schools had to be there at 7am for for a 9pm performance.

And like Sydney really cared?. It was September, spring was in the air, and all the footy codes had started their final series. We might be from Sydney, but we still have our priorities lol

[Wildy]

Someone reported a T-Shirt to me: The Pope Touched me, Down Under.

That was on Good News Week last night.

[Mobyseven]

I agree - I have no idea what thats all about - They pulled that rubbish with the the APEC conference last year. Turns the city into a giant Texas cage match.

I gotta be honest, I really didn't see to many issues going on with the APEC conference last year - I was a bit peeved off that the closed of Southern Cross and the Eastern Distributor when George flew in, but that's probably because I flew in the same night as him and had to get up to Beecroft. I was doing stuff at the State Theatre and we needed to have ID with us in case APEC security asked us, but all around that area things seemed to be going on as business as usual. Even the beggars were pretty unmolested...

[Brainache]

That was on Good News Week last night.

McDermott I assume.

It's so nice to read a post filled with evidence and devoid of ad homs, name-calling and intolerance. You surely make the JREF fora members proud.

Evidence? You want to see my train tickets? I don't believe I used any ad homs, just insults (if any of the clumbersome oafs are JREF forum members, I apologise). Intolerance? maybe a little, but I'm not part of the overgrown bronze age death cult terrorising my home town. A plague I tell you! Every bit as bad as tinnea...

[shadron]

I was surrounded by these papish fools on the train home this week. Bunch of clumbersome oafs in ill fitting beige, they make me want to laugh. The town is overrun with them. Catholics everywhere, it's like a plague...

It's so nice to read a post filled with evidence and devoid of ad homs, name-calling and intolerance. You surely make the JREF fora members proud.

Sounded just a touch ... Calvinist ... don't you think?

[shadron]

(To the OP) Well we don't look quite as silly as a couple of days ago. But I see that George Street (Sydney's equivalent of Broadway I suppose) has been closed down so that pilgrims can wander freely without the inconvenience of Sydney-siders going about their business. Now regardless of whether it's catholics, protestants or hare-bloody-krishnas this is wrong.

Ahhhh, they had one of these things in Denver, oh, 12 years ago. John Paul and Bill Clinton met in the basement of a dorm where I went to undergrad school; the area was a decrepit physics lab and later a coffe cup sized miniature theatre. Seemed appropriate. I stayed the hell away from downtown.

[MG1962]

I gotta be honest, I really didn't see to many issues going on with the APEC conference last year - I was a bit peeved off that the closed of Southern Cross and the Eastern Distributor when George flew in, but that's probably because I flew in the same night as him and had to get up to Beecroft. I was doing stuff at the State Theatre and we needed to have ID with us in case APEC security asked us, but all around that area things seemed to be going on as business as usual. Even the beggars were pretty unmolested...

Well we where down at the Entertainment Centre and things were a bit different. We had armoured cars patrolling, and like I said, very agressive security.

If we had been staging a protest or something, I could understand the reaction. But there were some 2000 school kids in various costumes and make up, kind of gave away the reason we were there.

To a point I do understand the concerns that APEC created, but I am worried it set a trend. As Lion pointed out. This is a religious gathering, in a country where religious violence has not been part of our society. What will be next, the May Day march or even ANZAC day?

[Mobyseven]

Well we where down at the Entertainment Centre and things were a bit different. We had armoured cars patrolling, and like I said, very agressive security.

If we had been staging a protest or something, I could understand the reaction. But there were some 2000 school kids in various costumes and make up, kind of gave away the reason we were there.

To a point I do understand the concerns that APEC created, but I am worried it set a trend. As Lion pointed out. This is a religious gathering, in a country where religious violence has not been part of our society. What will be next, the May Day march or even ANZAC day?

True. Though there's another side to that - 2000 kids in costume is a great place to hide, and 2000 kids in costume is a good target.

I wouldn't be too worried about the trend, really. At APEC we had a bunch of national leaders visiting (and the Chaser boys), and it would hardly do to have one or more of them disappear or die on our watch. This WYD annoyance law has now been chucked away, and I imagine that other such laws would probably meet with a similar fate in the future thanks to the precedent this sets.