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m1 by Alex Burns (alex@disinfo.com) - May 01, 2001 |
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Mass blockades, street parties, vigils, marches, music and performances will turn Melbourne's CBD into a giant festival for global justice - Tuesday 1 May 2001. The media's coverage of Melbourne's M1 protests (May Day, 2001) highlighted the differing "reality tunnels" (umwelts) of corporate/mainstream and activist/independent organizations. Everything varied, from the protest numbers (300, 6000 and 10,000 people were reported), to who was involved (Australian trade unions broke a 60 year observance and marched, despite news wire reports that denied any union involvement). When people from The Paper handed out copies of M1X, their clever parody of Murdoch's new street paper MX, the media's gaze was turned back on itself. The usual "fear" buttons were pushed: Prime Minister John Howard spoke out about the rumored 'deployment' of child protesters; Federal Minister Tony Abott condemned the protest as "mindless"; M1 organizer David Glanz contended that corporations were betraying Australia's citizens. The Age and Melbourne Indymedia jockeyed for photo and video opportunities. Access TV footage deadlines loomed. Anti-globalist protesters got a taste of the media circus as evolutionary inter-group conflict. No wonder that some decided to go AWOL. By afternoon, the protest had turned into a street party. Bananarama Against Bechtel, anyone? When faced with an early-morning scenario where the police outnumbered the protesters, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks denied he had issued a "go soft" order. Street traders angrily railed against the activists, the Nike store closed its doors after learning it was a target (but denied that it paid its staff only $1.25/hour wages), and puppets were burnt. The big losers of M1 was the media: there was little violence in Melbourne, although there were crowd clashes in Brisbane and Sydney. Elias Canetti is alive and well in the ritual chamber. |
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M1 (Melbourne) M-1: Mayday Worldwide Issues 2001: The M1 Protests Melbourne Indymedia Sydney Indymedia BHP Nike Rio Tinto No Logo Active.org.au: Activist News Australia The Paper Theft Mag Access News May Day Protests: Police Discuss Tactics Blockade: The Game Disinformation Dossier on Our Most Offensive Shoes, Ever Disinformation Dossier on The World Trade Organization Disinformation Dossier on Corporate Religions Disinformation Dossier on The Situationist Internationale Disinformation Dossier on The Battle In Seattle |
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