Converged about 50 metres in front of the stage to prepare to do an Action. A couple of QRers took their tops off and painted the Anarchy symbol on their breasts and slogans such as “My sexuality cannot be sponsored”. Painted a red and black banner with the words: “Community, not commodity”.
+E gave us an outline of how to do the Action – at 3pm, we walked single file up to the stage and danced to the performer’s music while waiting for a break between songs. Had leaflets to distribute that explained how it “costs $5000 to give out flyers at Fair Day” and “No War protesters were not allowed to hand out flyers last year”. E had the wheelie bin stereo sound system and PA, and was ready to give a speech.
Unexpectedly, the Fair Day organisers experienced a huge technical hitch and the singer’s music cut out. E thought we shouldn’t race up then cos we’d be blamed for pulling the plug, but the rest of us wanted to go and charged ahead. Gave out 500 leaflets to a receptive audience. L and German N proudly held the banner up at the front of the stage while two Security blokes on either side of the stage took ages to figure out this wasn’t an official part of the program. The banner was pulled off the QRupters, but was soon given back.
A cameraman started taking footage of QR hula hoopers and we asked him to stop: “We don’t want to be used for commercial TV interests.” “But our producer is gay!” he argued. Then one of the QRer’s said: “I want to be on TV!” So she was filmed and we asked for the rest of the vid to be erased.
Fair Day rained out about 5pm and the place emptied.
FILM NITE: (didn’t attend – had chronic illness.)
Cotton Ward 