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Will the Pope Touch You Downunder?

THURSDAY JULY 3 2008 11:00 AM

Submitted by gfvella. Edited By crispy.

TAGS: Australia, Human Rights, Free Speech, Catholic Church, World Youth Day

The World Youth Day Papal Circus is due in Sydney (Randwick Racecourse) for six hellish days at the end of July. So far, things have been going well for the God botherers in fancy dress, as the secular state bends like a choir boy to get that clerical shaft of approval.

First, the good people of New South Wales have forked out over $160 million of tax payers' money (up from $40 million and still rising) to defray the costs that the poor Church is facing. Then we found out that large parts of the city would be restricted, including locking people out of their own driveways, knocking down public trees, and generally inconveniencing people trying to get on with their normal, everyday lives. Now, to top it all off, we've discovered we can't take the piss out of these idiots or protest the Catholic Church's repugnant policy towards pedophiles, sex education, or contraception.

EXTRAORDINARY new powers will allow police to arrest and fine people for "causing annoyance" to World Youth Day participants and permit partial strip searches at hundreds of Sydney sites, beginning today.

The laws, which operate until the end of July, have the potential to make a crime of wearing a T-shirt with a message on it, undertaking a Chaser-style stunt, handing out condoms at protests, riding a skateboard or even playing music, critics say.

Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service will be able to direct people to cease engaging in conduct that "causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event".

People who fail to comply will be subject to a $5500 fine.
www.smh.com.au

These laws exceed anything that was put in place for the Olympics or APEC. Nice to know that being a skirt-wearing God botherer allows you to stop people from exercising their rights. Anti-abuse organisations have been specifically told that they must have any banners or T-shirts they wish to wear approved by the police (and no doubt through them, and the hard-core Catholic Police Commissioner, the Church) and must not protest at any of the main WYD sites or face arrest. So, first we rape your body as children and then we rape your rights as citizens. Great to see that the Church is still practicing the see no evil, hear no evil approach that let all these consecrated child molesters get away with abusing children for so long. Now, if all these annoying little people would just go away and let us worship our invisible friend in the sky in peace; at one with our misogyny and homophobia.

Hopefully, these laws are just going to provoke people to get very pissed and make their displeasure clear.

The director of GetUp.org.au, Brett Solomon, did not rule out a campaign of protests or pranks among his 280,000 members to highlight what he called the "absurdity" of the rules, even if it meant fines of $5500. Many had not been angry before about the papal visit. "We could organise 1000 people in annoying or inconvenient T-shirts to people the route," he said.

The groups planning protests include anti-homophobia and pro-contraception organisations, atheists, agnostics, gay- and lesbian-friendly churches, victims of abuse by Catholic clergy, and civil libertarians.
www.smh.com.au

I was going to ignore the entire process, but now my annoying shirt and I are going to get an outing because I'll be damned if my rights are going to be impinged to protect the delicate sensibilities of people who believe they eat human flesh every Sunday.

15 Comments

Mr_Matt_

Hollywood, FL

July 2005

JUL 03, 2008 12:49 PM

I would love to see hundreds of you guys egg the pope. Egg him really good. Then disperse.

There is safety in them numbers I tell you!

Mark_plus_Beer

United Kingdom

August 2005

JUL 03, 2008 01:05 PM

i love the thread title

motorfirebox

Pittsburgh, PA

March 2004

JUL 03, 2008 01:25 PM

we need to get a group of spunky, rebellious, but good-at-heart breakdancers in there, stat.

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

JUL 03, 2008 04:36 PM

Mark_plus_Beer said:
i love the thread title

It really is quite fantastic.

ckdexterhaven

Redding, CA

December 2005

JUL 03, 2008 04:45 PM

What is this, The SuicideGirls War on Christmas In July around here as of late?

Varuka_Salt

I'm lost

October 2006

JUL 03, 2008 05:01 PM

ckdexterhaven said:
What is this, The SuicideGirls War on Christmas In July around here as of late?

Trying to get all of our christmas hating out of the way early this year and avoid the crowds.

xfinitex

East Lansing, MI

August 2005

JUL 03, 2008 10:19 PM

I'm sorry, but this is just ridiculous. I don't know much about the lawmaking process in Australia, and I'd like to say that we wouldn't approve such ridiculous religious laws in the US, but I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised. But yeah. Creepy. All Australian folk should get out there and cause problems.

Kohai

I'm lost

October 2006

JUL 04, 2008 07:12 AM

So here's my new reality TV pitch.

1. Find an economically depressed, crime-prone area.
2. Invite in the Catholic World Youth.
3. With all legal protections for expression and privacy suspended, goodhearted Catholic youngsters work together with hard-bitten law enforcement officials to clean up the area.
4. At the end of the show, a heartwarming sermon is given in the foreground by a youth minister, while in the background the police sodomize the worst and/or most attractive offenders.

I predict my ascension into the moron producer elite with the airing of the pilot.

Squire

I'm lost

November 2003

JUL 04, 2008 05:33 PM

I mean, "will the Pope." "Touch you." "Down under!" That's fucking comedy GOLD people!!

_Margot_

Santa Monica, CA

December 2007

JUL 04, 2008 05:39 PM

Squire said:

Mark_plus_Beer said:
i love the thread title

It really is quite fantastic.

Agreed.

lowroller

Australia

May 2008

JUL 05, 2008 08:09 PM

I've marked those 6 days on my calendar because I'm staying in and not leaving the house. It will be worse than the zombie apocalypse.

Metaverse

Portland, OR

March 2005

JUL 07, 2008 12:46 AM

motorfirebox said:
we need to get a group of spunky, rebellious, but good-at-heart breakdancers in there, stat.

Breakin 2: Electric Papal-Loo ?

FellOnEarth

Temecula, CA

April 2006

JUL 07, 2008 03:35 AM

Metaverse said:

motorfirebox said:
we need to get a group of spunky, rebellious, but good-at-heart breakdancers in there, stat.

Breakin 2: Electric Papal-Loo ?

More like an Epileptic Papal-Zoo, but I like your style!

Wenda

HOPEFUL

Australia

JUL 13, 2008 12:10 AM

The laws, which operate until the end of July, have the potential to make a crime of wearing a T-shirt with a message on it, undertaking a Chaser-style stunt, handing out condoms at protests, riding a skateboard or even playing music, critics say.

Shit, really? I knew they were doing some odd shit in preparation for WYD but I've been more or less ignoring all the hoo-hah. Thank fuck I'm far enough from the Sydney Metro to continue to ignore it

I had a Sydney shopping trip planned next weekend, but I might just leave it for a few weeks...

Myryax

Australia

September 2006

JUL 13, 2008 12:58 AM

Mr_Matt_ said:There is safety in them numbers I tell you!

From what I understand there will be a sizable gathering of annoyance-bringers amassing in Taylor Square at 12pm on Saturday 19th. So go there for said safety.