The Earth Summit is upon us, and it’s worth remembering that world leaders often look good wearing a pie. Take a look at the Canadian Prime Minister getting a delicious-looking pie in the face – at Canadian Pie! Browse over the homepage of a very successful Dutch pie-throwing-activist group (which includes photographs of the Dutch Finance Minister getting two very tasty banana-vanilla pies in his face) Go to TAART! Here’s the Australian Opposition Leader receiving a scrumptious vanilla cream pie in the face – Australian Pie!
Pie throwing at politicians has become such a commonplace and wonderful way of letting the electorate show their good humour and disgust at politicians, that the French, for instance, even have a word for it – ‘entartement’. Have a click through the homepage of one of the groups who’ve done their share pie throwing – try Le Entartists! For a stroll down memory lane, and lots of pictures of very famous political figures receiving pies, consider the lessons to be learned for all of you potential pie-activists, at Pieman
Then, to show that India has its share of pie-throwing, read the info and try some lovely Indian Pie! If you have the bandwidth, you can also watch an online 28 minute film, showing many great moments of pie throwing at politicians, at The Pie’s The Limit!
And for a serious article on the meaning of throwing messy-but-delicious pies at politicians, read Tried and Pied.
As I rather like this country, I feel entitled to criticise when the morons in power go unchecked – it’s something of a patriotic duty, in fact, to make life difficult for the elected leaders. As a minor point of logic, don’t hide behind telling me, or someone else, to ‘just leave if we don’t like it here’. Patriots aren’t passive – watching as their leaders screw up their country. They complain, they rabble rouse, they criticise precisely because they care so much. And when their backs are to the wall, well, they throw pies.
So, if you can see the truth in some of the points I’ve covered, consider getting a nice soft confectionery or two – and making yourself heard at the Summit. I have such outrage at the way my country has been mishandled to the point of chaos and destruction, I’m offering a free pizza to the first protester I see in photographs, planting a tasty pie on Thabo, or any Cabinet Ministers. (I’m not hinting, by the way – I’m actively suggesting it – there’s a subtle difference)
For more regular forms of protest, if the idea of pie-throwing at the Summit scares you, then for a nice overview of planned protests worldwide (including the Earth Summit) go browse through Protest. For lots of useful leaflets and posters to use at the Summit, take a look at what’s available at Peace Protest Net. Then for some general idea of the legalities around protesting, read Your Right To Protest. To get a sense of what’s happening, as the pie begins to hit the fan, so to speak – keep an eye on Indy Media South Africa.
If you’re curious about general protest online, then a nice starting place is Ecological Direct Action, and at the WTO protests in Seattle – the protesters even had their own marching band to help provide stirring music for the crowds pitted against the police. Not a bad idea for here, if things heat up. Take a look at the Infernal Noise Brigade.
Until the next time, if pie covered policemen and politicians don’t get me.
Websurfing Supplied by Megawan: http://www.megawan.net/
Ian Fraser is a playwright, author, comedian, conspiracy nut, old-time radio collector and self-confessed data-junkie. Winner of numerous Vita and Amstel Awards, he’s been an Internet addict and games-fanatic since around 1995, when the Internet began to make much more sense than theatre.