Posted by Marcus Braid
Campaigners trying to save Millers Point from privatisation at Barangaroo said 12 guards “descended” on them last Saturday November 1 at a picnic opening of the site.
The campaigners were told they were not allowed to write on the footpath, or distribute their paper planes to passers-by.
According to the Barangaroo website, the series of Sunday picnics “celebrates a different theme – stone, sea and sky – to honour the history of the place, its people and their aspirations”.
But this apparently does not include the history of the nearby Millers Point residents.
November’s month was the celebration of ‘sky’. The Millers Point campaigners chose to post planes with messages written on them.
“Celebrate the Sky; Make a Sky Plane: Aim High in the Sky: Save the Millers Point Community,” read the planes.
“Soon half a dozen security officers descended upon us. We were not to hand out material outside Barangaroo, and we were not to chalk the word ‘Community’ outside Barangaroo” Save Millers Point posted on its Facebook page.
“Head of security for Barangaroo said we had to get permission from the state government before handing out information or paper planes outside Barangaroo, where the signs say #HelloNeighbour. Who are these signs for?”
John Donne told City Hub that he found the security “heavy-handed”.
“He collected names, and then he put them into his system.”
Mr Donne said that he did not understand why it would be against the rules to distribute the paper planes on the footpath, outside the gates of the Barangaroo Park.
“To me, I thought we were getting on alright with Barangaroo.”
“They made sure there was no more chalk being put on the footpath, and then they sent out the young cleaner out to sponge it off,” he said.
Margaret Bishop, who was amongst the campaigners said that it was strange there were so many security personnel.
“We are out on the footpath, there must have been something up because there was quite a lot of security around.”
She said that she loved the development of the parkland, and despite last weekend’s controversy, the campaigners had a good working relationship with the park.
“We love the reserve, we think it is beautiful, and involving the arts is wonderful. We’re not a threat to them, we’re giving out little planes, and trying to get people to sign petition, we got a really fabulous response from general public,” she said.
“We try and do things in a light hearted way. We were doing it with a lovely smile.”
RESOURCED: http://www.altmedia.net.au/picnic-turns-heavy-handed-at-barangaroo/111573
BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS
The campaigners were told they were not allowed to write on the footpath, or distribute their paper planes to passers-by.
According to the Barangaroo website, the series of Sunday picnics “celebrates a different theme – stone, sea and sky – to honour the history of the place, its people and their aspirations”.
But this apparently does not include the history of the nearby Millers Point residents.
November’s month was the celebration of ‘sky’. The Millers Point campaigners chose to post planes with messages written on them.
“Celebrate the Sky; Make a Sky Plane: Aim High in the Sky: Save the Millers Point Community,” read the planes.
“Soon half a dozen security officers descended upon us. We were not to hand out material outside Barangaroo, and we were not to chalk the word ‘Community’ outside Barangaroo” Save Millers Point posted on its Facebook page.
“Head of security for Barangaroo said we had to get permission from the state government before handing out information or paper planes outside Barangaroo, where the signs say #HelloNeighbour. Who are these signs for?”
John Donne told City Hub that he found the security “heavy-handed”.
“He collected names, and then he put them into his system.”
Mr Donne said that he did not understand why it would be against the rules to distribute the paper planes on the footpath, outside the gates of the Barangaroo Park.
“To me, I thought we were getting on alright with Barangaroo.”
“They made sure there was no more chalk being put on the footpath, and then they sent out the young cleaner out to sponge it off,” he said.
Margaret Bishop, who was amongst the campaigners said that it was strange there were so many security personnel.
“We are out on the footpath, there must have been something up because there was quite a lot of security around.”
She said that she loved the development of the parkland, and despite last weekend’s controversy, the campaigners had a good working relationship with the park.
“We love the reserve, we think it is beautiful, and involving the arts is wonderful. We’re not a threat to them, we’re giving out little planes, and trying to get people to sign petition, we got a really fabulous response from general public,” she said.
“We try and do things in a light hearted way. We were doing it with a lovely smile.”
RESOURCED: http://www.altmedia.net.au/picnic-turns-heavy-handed-at-barangaroo/111573
