However, now that I'm here, I did not regret coming here at this time at all. Sure, I missed quite a number of places (a few of which I can catch up with when I come back here a few days later) but the APEC protests was quite a thing to see. As reported in the news (at least in Australia), there was some protest going on yesterday and a massive one today, both of which I've kaypoh-ed as a spectator.
The one on Friday was more on the humour/mocking side. I arrived just that noon, and got news of it and managed to catch the event. Entitled "Bums for Bush", the protestors attempted a world record at the largest moon attempt, though they failed miserably with only about 100 mooners turning up (they were targeting 2000, if I recall correctly). Nonetheless, it was quite a scene to see so many people exposing their bottoms, including old ladies who appeared to have enjoyed showing their sexy butts.
However, the weather was offended by the sight of so many bums that it decided to rain, thus scattering much of the protestors from Hyde Park, where the event was held.
The protest today, on the other hand, was a serious one. It swelled up at the Town Hall and began a march towards Hyde Park. They met up with a police blockade so formidable that I am sure they have picked up a skill or two from the Singapore Police Force.
Protestors of all sorts and all styles and all purposes were there. While it was organised by a "Stop Bush Coalition", there were socialists, anarchists, and even neo-Nazis around. Of so many causes of their protests, the only one which I would support is climate change. (Special thanks to the polar bear who posed for me!)
I left the protest about two hours after it started, since it got pretty slow after that with the police choking up the protest route (furthermore, I was planning to visit some other place that afternoon). I later on heard from the news that some scuffle broke out and a couple of people were arrested, though the protest has been largely peaceful.
The APEC summit really dampened the city. In the district of The Rock, which is usually a very busy shopping area, it was quiet like a cemetery. The entire city was quite depressing, to be frank, and it doesn't help that there is a constant hum of the security helicopter all the time. It was worse at night: they had spotlights sweeping the streets, and the whole atmosphere reminds me of Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Anyway, Dominic brought me away from the town area to a nearby cliff park, and that alone made my Sydney experience worthwhile. The wind was exhilarating and the view was completely mind-blowing. The sunset, above all, was simply thrilling.
Later on we went to have dinner near the Sydney Opera House, where most of the APEC delegates were (and it was a hassle to manoeuvre through the security shutdown), and halfway through we were rewarded with a close view of the APEC fireworks.
Cool! Tomorrow, I'll be heading for Gold Coast, before returning for a day to Sydney and then heading back to Canberra. But I think it won't be long before I visit Sydney again.
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