alt_edWhy I Know I'll Hate World Youth Day!
July 2nd 2008 00:33
Well, first of all the name is just dumb. Why call it World Youth Day if it’s running over more than a day? Is this some sort of marketing ploy to try and downplay how inconveniencing this event is going to be or what?
Fresh of the back of the 2007 APEC Summit, Sydney is once again battening down the hatches in preparation for WYD08. Earlier in the week, it was revealed that the NSW Government had snuck in laws that will allow police to arrest and fine people who are causing “annoyance or inconvenience” to World Youth Day attendees. The World Youth Day Amendment Regulation 2008 makes provisions for a fine of up to $5,500 to be handed to anyone found not complying with the amended laws- something critics say could range from wearing protest T-shirts to handing out free condoms during the event.
The NSW Bar Association said the laws attacked the right to freedom of speech and appeared to be completely unnecessary.
In a media release issued on the 1st of this month, the president of the New South Wales Bar Association, Anna Katzmann SC, has condemned the Iemma government’s World Youth Day regulation as a direct affront to freedom of speech and assembly and they appear to be completely unnecessary.
But the police and government have defended the additional powers, saying they were needed whenever large-scale events were held in Sydney.
However such laws were not necessary when Sydney hosted the Rugby World Cup, or the annual Mardi Gras parade.
“If I were to wear a T-shirt proclaiming that "World Youth Day is a waste of public money" and refuse to remove it when an officer of the Rural Fire Service asks me to, I would commit a criminal offence," Ms Katzmann said.
Protest group, NoToPope Coalition are concerned the regulations will be used to stop demonstrations during World Youth Day events, but that they could also effectively ban things like distributing condoms to the young pilgrims and talk with them about human rights issues.
NoToPope spokeswoman Rachel Evans said the group was seeking legal advice on whether it could challenge the "thou shalt not offend" laws.
But she said the group would still carry out its protest in the CDB on July 19, and go ahead with its plan to hand out condoms to young pilgrims.
"We are not anti-religion," Ms Evans said.
Hugh Macken, the President of the New South Wales Law Society, is also worried about what he describes as an erosion of civil rights.
“They were bought in without much discussion. They don't particularly seem to achieve anything other than creating some uncertainty in respect to the law and we have reservations and concerns about some of these regulations - particularly the new definition of 'conduct which is causes an inconvenience or an annoyance'.
Just what that means, I am a bit unsure about.” Said Macken during an interview with the ABC’s The World Today program.
Apart from being a total waste of taxpayer’s money, it is absurd that now all Australian’s face the possibility of being fined for causing an inconvenience or an annoyance to the 125,000 international visitors interrupting our lives between July 15 & 20!
Oh GOD!
Fresh of the back of the 2007 APEC Summit, Sydney is once again battening down the hatches in preparation for WYD08. Earlier in the week, it was revealed that the NSW Government had snuck in laws that will allow police to arrest and fine people who are causing “annoyance or inconvenience” to World Youth Day attendees. The World Youth Day Amendment Regulation 2008 makes provisions for a fine of up to $5,500 to be handed to anyone found not complying with the amended laws- something critics say could range from wearing protest T-shirts to handing out free condoms during the event.
The NSW Bar Association said the laws attacked the right to freedom of speech and appeared to be completely unnecessary.
In a media release issued on the 1st of this month, the president of the New South Wales Bar Association, Anna Katzmann SC, has condemned the Iemma government’s World Youth Day regulation as a direct affront to freedom of speech and assembly and they appear to be completely unnecessary.
But the police and government have defended the additional powers, saying they were needed whenever large-scale events were held in Sydney.
However such laws were not necessary when Sydney hosted the Rugby World Cup, or the annual Mardi Gras parade.
Protest group, NoToPope Coalition are concerned the regulations will be used to stop demonstrations during World Youth Day events, but that they could also effectively ban things like distributing condoms to the young pilgrims and talk with them about human rights issues.
NoToPope spokeswoman Rachel Evans said the group was seeking legal advice on whether it could challenge the "thou shalt not offend" laws.
But she said the group would still carry out its protest in the CDB on July 19, and go ahead with its plan to hand out condoms to young pilgrims.
"We are not anti-religion," Ms Evans said.
Hugh Macken, the President of the New South Wales Law Society, is also worried about what he describes as an erosion of civil rights.
“They were bought in without much discussion. They don't particularly seem to achieve anything other than creating some uncertainty in respect to the law and we have reservations and concerns about some of these regulations - particularly the new definition of 'conduct which is causes an inconvenience or an annoyance'.
Just what that means, I am a bit unsure about.” Said Macken during an interview with the ABC’s The World Today program.
Apart from being a total waste of taxpayer’s money, it is absurd that now all Australian’s face the possibility of being fined for causing an inconvenience or an annoyance to the 125,000 international visitors interrupting our lives between July 15 & 20!
Oh GOD!
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Comment by Nomad
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Shame, really - I was looking forward to seeing how creative Aussies could be when it came to disrupting World Youth Day (or as I prefer to call it, World Catholic Youth Day). Hopefully some still will, in spite of the threat of jail.
Comment by RubySoho
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But I love how Christians are allowed to annoy anyone when they feel like it with all their endless god bothering but if we dare to speak our minds to them, we can get arrested.
Seriously how does the NSW Labor Party get away with pretending its not more conservatives than the Liberals?
Comment by alt_ed
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And do you really think the Iemma government are worried that they'll be embarrassed? Every day for them is an embarrassment (The Milton Orkopouloss saga, the Iguanagate Scandal, and lets not forget SHITYRAIL!) why should WYD be any different
I'm with you Journeywoman, Hopefully, Hopefully, the Aussies will rally together despite fine's and imprisonment!
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I also love how all o a sudden T-shirt makers in Sydney have sprung up and printed a multitude of annoying and offensive t-shirts that weren't even available before. Telling us we can't... talk about waving a red flag to a bull. I'm imaging there will now be thousands of people buying the t-shirts that would have never even thought to do so before. Dimwits!
Imagine a fireman or an SES volunteer arresting and fining people. They are not members of law enforcement. I want to see lots of people fined and then a civil-rights lawyer take them all on pro-bono and take it all the way to the High Court. It will happen, and they will win.
I'm even going to dig out my old t-shirt that I'd forgotten I had with the following quip...
Nothing annoying in that. If they can find Jesus in church, I can find him hiding behind furniture.
Can someone arrest and fine the Catholics that will annoy me because I'm living in 'the zone'? Very bloody annoying!
Comment by alt_ed
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I can't say i've found jebus yet, but i think he may be on vacation visiting Ken Ham's Creation Museum. . .
I wonder if we can fine the Catholics for the inconvenience and annoyance? It'd be so much more fun !
Comment by Cheryl J
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I have to go through these stations every day to and from work. If I'm late, I'll bill the pope for my lost income. Grr
Comment by alt_ed
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Be careful with your carefree-- that'll probably be an annoyance! You dont wanna be fined lol
Comment by Anonymous
You should all e ashamed of yoursleves for writing such rude, and outrageous comments and you all should be going to world youth day to see actually what's it about instead of having such closed minds.
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Comment by RubySoho
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PEACE OUT
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous
They behaved, at times, like unruly kindergarten kids, and at other times they swarmed like moths with bright yellow and orange-coloured wings on their backs, spilling out of doorways singing “a cappella” hymns and ditties, or jumping suddenly from a bush or from behind trees chanting snippets of Christian dogma or invading train carriages with their persistent sing-song demeanour, further wearying workers, bemused retirees and over-tired children.
Like their cousins the Bogong Moths, see Really Long Link they caused numerous inconveniences to humans of other faiths and non-beliefs. Indeed, in 1865, it is reported that Bogong moths invaded a church in Sydney, causing a service to be abandoned.
It beggars belief that the Iemma Government should attempt to outlaw “offensively” worded tee-shirt slogans, and “unchristian” taunts, when the whole papal offensive was an affront to the majority of Australians.
Begone, I say begone.