A Disgruntled " Mob " !

This weekend several thousand placard waving people marched through the Sydney CBD to voice their opposition to a strange litany of causes.  Some were protesting about land resumptions to make way for the West Connex road corridors that will improve the traffic flow, while others were complaining about the necessity of tree removal to enable this city's new light rail network to become reality.

That seemed to bring " opposites " to the same rally with protests that are hard to align.  The Greenies want to stop all forms of road widening and force everybody onto public transport, while the motoring public are tired of the ever lengthening daily commute - and want better roads.   The fact that massive new public transport structure is being put in place and a new and better road network is being created - with both projects running in tandem - seems to please nobody.

Judging by the signs carried, the range of issues under protest  was simply opportunistic.  The coal seam gas deniers were prominent and the new Sydney airport at Badgery's Creek opposers were sprinkled through the crowd.    There were signs protesting that the Powerhouse museum was to be moved from Darling Harbout to western Sydney, although the people of the west are enthusiastically supporting this move.

The pot smokers were out in force trying to ban drug sniffer dogs and the party crowd was complaining about the " Lockout " laws that have cleaned up Kings Cross.   The motoring lobby was against speed cameras - and a lot of very angry people were having a say about the forced merger of many Sydney councils.

There is something about an election that brings forth the worst tantrums in many people, despite    the fact that this is a Federal election and many of the issues under complaint are matters decided by the state government.   This seemed to be a disgruntled mob inflamed by the usual political activists and encouraged  to seek change by noisy public chanting and disturbing the routine of the city.

Fortunately there was no violence.  No shop windows were smashed and no parked cars set alight.  Most people probably went home with a feeling of satisfaction, happy that they had " done their bit " to bring about change - although what was achieved was tenuous.

Sydney is Australia's biggest city and there is the expectation that it will have to provide work and living accommodation for a lot more people as its expansion continues.  That means that change is necessary - and it is inevitable that some citizens will be inconvenienced by the effect that such change will have on their lives.   Usually this produces what is called the NINBY effect.   They agree that this change is necessary - but they want it to happen someplace else.

In the distant past , protest was usually limited to writing an angry letter to the local newspaper, but today we have an ever expanding social media.   There is an opportunity to join with others to express an opinion and those with a political interest see an opportunity to collate this anger and fan the flames to seed open rebellion.   Hence this weekend saw thousands of people of very different views delivering a mob scene that lacked a common thread.

A decade or so from now what was being protested this weekend will be forgotten.  The West Connex will be delivering better commute times and the light rail and driverless trains will be speeding commuters to their destinations. Newer, quieter aircraft will be using Badgery's Creek and these bigger councils will be delivering services more efficiently.

But people will have new issues to complain about.   It seems to be part of the human psyche to resist change.   Hopefully, letting off steam in this way resolves the matter peacefully !