Excellent Information Bill Protest in Pinetown
Our placard protest at Old Main and Stapleton today in support of media freedom was a most interesting experience. A small group of about 15 of us donned our DA-kit and held our placards to the passing traffic. The response was most unexpected with about 2/3 of vehicle passing us giving us the unequivocal hoot of support!
I’m certain an ANC big wig drove past as well because the index finger he showed us was most certainly the opposite of support. I wonder if it was quite necessary to display the same finger to Cllrs Jean Lindsay and Gill Noyce – but perhaps that’s me just being a little traditional.
Cllr Noma Phungula and two activists from Mpumalanga township she brought along got a fair bit of hecking and sprinking of “we are disappointed in you” from passing motorists. Those giving them stick pretty consistently looked like what one might call a BEE fatcat (or that’s how Noma put it at least!).
If anything the support for protest was a great indication that the issue of the Information Bill and the Media Tribunal is one that surpasses race. Secondarily, it would appear that ANC loyalists are a little prickly on this issue, resorting to the middle finger in response and tackling our activists for selling out (the ANC’s politics of race alive and well!).
