Perception

Chapter Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-six

It's funny how most activists are pacifists.


Craig Bruce

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    There were no police as we walked around Parliament house on that last day. That right there should have been our first clue. Everyone day at twelve noon we started our march and everyday the police were in position waiting for any excuse to hull us away. But on that day, nothing.  

   Undaunted we marched, singing louder then ever before hoping that the ministers and senators could hear our voices and feel some compassion. We made seven laps around the building before ringing the building and waiting for the verdict. Marks boast had come true after all.

  At seven minutes to one the huge doors opened. Out came a tiny little fellow. Smartly dressed, lugging a large glass podium. Curious most of us stopped the singing and chanting to watch him flitter around at the top of the staircase plugging in the odd stray wire and testing things out. He tapped the microphone thrice before nodding to himself and retuning into the stone monolithic beast.

   Everyone murmured wondering what was going on. Television crews and reporters scurried up the steps positioning themselves for the up coming statement.

   In the distance the city hall’s bells chimed the hour as the next figure appeared.

   "That's Annus," Petra breathed at my shoulder.

   I looked up with interest now. Dark haired and tanned skinned he walked towards the podium with a contemptuous sneer etched upon he too tight face. His navy suit looked expensive, judging by the tailored fit I'd have guessed it cost more then it would to fed a family of four for a month. He was shorter then he looked on TV, thinner too. The old myth about the camera and ten pound and a few inches must be right, but then if he surrounded himself with short people then naturally he’d look taller.

   Stepping up to the platform he curled his fingers around the edges, glaring at the crowd. He made sure to sweep the whole line with his hatred before pulling back to announce, "Today in a vote of eighteen to four the new vagrancy act was passed by the upper house." I felt the ground give out under me, not realising until that moment that I had actually believed we might make a difference. Stupid hope. The crowd exploded with a chorus of no's, boos and hisses. He had to talk a little louder to be heard but otherwise ignored our reaction. "You have two weeks to apply for your vagrancy cards. If-"

   The roaring crowd drown out his words. People started throwing bits of rubbish up the stairs. A column of masked men, dressed completely in black, filed out of the huge door to form a line behind Annus. With a flick of the wrist the truncheon went up and down in menacing synchronicity. The bombardment slowed but the abuse did not. The treat these androgynous figures posed was not implied but boldly stated. Annus was showing us his attack dogs.

    Picking up a large chunk of broken concrete Pack Rat extended his arm shooting, "Go to Hell you bloo-"

   Jacob grabbed his wrist, pulling him in close shouting, "No violence!" looking around the angry crowd he moved a few steps up the grand stone staircase. People stopped their screaming so they could hear him decree, "No violence, no abuse. You are letting him win."

   "He's already won!" someone at the back of the crowd cried this was followed by a chorus of "Yeahs!"

     I turned to try and see where the voice had come from but couldn't see the person through the crowd. The street was now swollen with our number spilling back into a few feed in streets. Someone must have sent the word down the chain that Annus was speaking and everyone had came around to hear.