"George Bush, assasin!"

Note: Originally posted in my on-site blog, reposted here for consistency.

Today, I went to the peace protest in Brussels. I deliberately went to the one in Brussels because I didn't want to risk getting involved in a riot (which is more likely in Antwerp than in Brussels), and I deliberately didn't take a camera because I know myself, and I knew I'd be losing sight of my own safety or where I was while taking pictures.

And yet, somehow, I still suddenly found myself in the thick of the demonstration, stayed there for most of the time, and didn't even start to think about leaving until people were suddenly throwing things at the police and shaking the fences. (Yeah, violence at a peace demonstration. Idiots.) The police started spraying mace to keep people from overturning the fences, and that was when I finally got a clue and left.

Unfortunately, by this time I'd already breathed in a few mouthfuls of mace, so my mouth, lips and throat are still all sore and tingly. Thank god I was wearing my sunglasses, so my eyes are fine.

Things that made me wish I did bring a camera so I could catch them on film:

• All the kids with their parents, the groups of teenagers varying in age from barely eleven to seventeen, the little old ladies, and the elderly couple with the serious, solemn faces whom I just wanted to hug;
• The girl with "American Against War" on her cap;
• The bloke who had the lyrics to Dylan's Masters of War on his t-shirt;
• The police officer who, smiling, threw his half packet of chewing gum to one of the protestors;

There was more, but I need to clean now, and my throat's still burning.