The Urine Filled Balloons? : Melbourne Indymedia

Who are these people always throwing urine-filled balloons or condoms at police, without being caught on camera or arrested? With a heavy media presence and every other person wielding a camera at protests these days, why does no witness of these piss-throwing thugs exist?
In search of the elusive G20 urine bombers

Crikey
Date: Monday, 20 November 2006
By freelance journalist Katherine Wilson

According to Treasurer Peter Costello at the weekend, demonstrators at the G20 forum in Melbourne were “throwing balloons filled with urine at police”.

So who were these people? Were they caught on camera? Were they arrested? With a heavy media presence and every other person wielding a camera, why does no snapshot or witness of these urine-throwing thugs exist?

So in search of the urine-bombers, we went to the police themselves. This morning police media spokesperson told Crikey: “We’re not aware of any specific incidents of urine-throwing.”

Where, then, did the Treasurer get his information? Costello said the urine-throwers at G20 were “a hardcore militant and violent” group “organised for violence, who have been trained for violence.” If the Federal Treasurer knew of an "organised ... militant" group "trained" for "violence", why hasn’t it been charged under terror laws?

Or was the Treasurer fantasising? “Urine-filled balloons are to contemporary protests what bayoneted babies were to the First World War,” says Radical Melbourne author Jeff Sparrow. “The ‘urine-filled-balloons’ fantasy seems to have originated after a protest against Pauline Hanson, at which people tossed water bombs at Nazi skinheads going into her rally. Some of the balloons had been filled from a hot water tap… thus sparking the first report of flung urine."

“Thereafter, it became a staple of demo journalism. Without fail, each time a protest caused controversy the urine balloons (or condoms) would appear. Of course, if you think about it for a minute, the whole idea is ridiculous. I mean, how do you fill a balloon full of urine — drink a lot of coffee and beer, and then attach a balloon to the relevant appendage, in the middle of a crowd?”

It’s possible the Federal Treasurer, like the Australian and Herald-Sun reports, confused persistent fables of urine-throwers with actual G20 "demonstrators" who threw street signs and smashed a police vehicle for television cameras. Reportedly unknown to protest organisers, the group’s tactics have been condemned by moderate demonstrators, with eleven reported arrests.

But why, in the Federal Treasurer’s mind, were there ”no reported arrests” of those unshakable urine-grenaders who, like vampires, never appear on camera? The Treasurer’s office was contacted, but didn’t provide a response in time for this article.

http://crikey.com.au/Politics/20061120-Costello-witnesses-mythical-urine-bombers-.html

--

G20 protesters throw urine - The Age, November 18, 2006

"Protesters at the G20 forum in Melbourne have thrown balloons filled with urine at police according to Federal Treasurer Peter Costello. Protesters and police clashed today in the city centre with anti-G20 activists attacking security barricades in a bid to storm the Grand Hyatt summit venue...

"...Mr Costello condemned the protesters saying they are sending the world an image of a violent Melbourne. "There's a hard-core militant and violent element amongst those protesters who have come organised for violence, who have been trained for violence and, unfotunately, have chosen to engage in violence," Mr Costello said..."

Speaking to journalists at the Grand Hyatt, in a room from which the thump of music could be heard from the streets below, Mr Costello said police estimated the number of protesters at about 1000. Pre-forum expectations had reached as high as 10,000.

"They have been throwing balloons filled with urine at police, throwing bottles, throwing road signs, damaging vehicles and otherwise engaging in violence," Mr Costello said. "Who knows what motivates them? Who knows why they try to engage in violence? Who knows what misguided politics they have?"

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/g20-protesters-throw-urine/2006/11/18/1163266813994.html
--

See Also, "The Battle of Collins Street" - The Age. November 19, 2006:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/the-battle-of-collins-street/2006/11/18/1163266834498.html