tear gas sux...

...in case you were wondering...

I attended a protest here in Danmark, just outside of kobenhavn. The protest was against the Sandholm Refugee Camp in Allerød which serves to isolate refugees from Danish society.
The purpose of isolation is pretty straight forward: It is to exclude the refugees from society and anything that resembles peaceful conditions and a normal life. The Sandholm refugee camp and the fences around it are brutal and concrete manifestations of racism.
So the aim of some was to tear down the wall and for others to show support. My preference was to show support, with the elderly and the young children, from a distance. An announcement was made the stated to the police that the people by the moving stage were supporters but not engaging in physical violence, so we hope for no violence from the police. I saw some arrests made and was surprised by the lack of physical violence. That was until they began with the gas. You know they gassed the people taking down the fence...not cool, but to be expected. Then, they launched an amped up dose into the crowd of peaceful observers--knowing there were elders and children.
I cannot type it into words without being moved to emotion, but the moments with the gas were easily the best and worst moments of my life. Best in that as the effects of the gas hit us, we clung together. Each one of us cursing in our respective languages (and sometimes in languages other than our own) and we held on to one another for strength speaking tongues in a way. cathartic, i suppose.
the worst in that i know what it is to die. as we left they threatened to set their dogs on us and the dogs they threatened looked thirsty for our blood. I was terrified. It was emotional. and in the end the police followed some people home.
currently, my eyes burn and my throat is a bit scratchy.
i think i will be ok and live to fight another day...

no fence uncut
no wall unclimbed
no racism unquestioned