There today was, also in Zürich, this anti-banking demo taking place. Visited the place in early afternoon. As I did not want to be un-informed on my birthday, and regarded both their protest against the bankers and their being peaceful as a kind of birthday present.

They will not achieve much of course, but it may show the top-brass of the banking "scene" the DISapproval against them by lots of people.

I after that went to the Viadukt to sample some really superb Portwines, accompanied by some nice British cheeses. Might say that the combination of Port with English cheese is a really good one

Back to the demo, I hope it ends well and peacefully. I am fairly optimistic as the participators were not teenagers but people roughly between 20 and 50 and so hopefully a bit better up with possible challenges.

A banking demo held on a day of the week that the banks are all closed..?! Wow, how terribly Swiss of them not to disrupt business as usual.

You bet they were considerate.
In Rome the protest turned out to become a riot..

I said it before, demos in Zürich take place on Saturday and do not forget that all the bankers and their families are out shopping on Saturday and so possibly take note of the matter MORE than on other days. It would NOT have disrupted business on an another day, but those who now participated were at work on the other days, and could not simply abstain from work for a day

it continues until Monday Morning
http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zuerich/...story/10922824
hope, everything goes well

Happy Birthday!

Thanks, I just enjoy it with some good bread with Mettwurst and a bottle of Bianco Sicilia I found at Aldi for a minimum. The continuation is a Red Wine, also from Aldi. It may not be popular here but Aldi and Lidl have really good wines on stock

Happy Birthday!

Off to Zuerich tonight... so might get a glimpse of the remaining zombie protesters :-D

Wolli, first of all happy birthday!

There was all kinds of cr*p going on in the Italian streets too today. I am watching the news and it is disgusting the way they destroyed some areas of Rome. It is also very sad for all the peaceful protesters - I mean, I may like or dislike the protest in general, but nonetheless, these violent disturbers unfortunately sabotage the protest and create problems to all peaceful protesters.

Anyway, I hope that people will look at peaceful protests with a discerning eye (clearly distinguishing the peaceful people from the violent ones) and at the same time that all who destroyed the streets of my country are put in jail and the key thrown away - wishful thinking in Italy.

As for me, well, I steered clear from any protests and was busy shoe shopping in my quiet home town

Happy birthday

I'm not sure many of those there even have jobs. Not to be judgemental but there were a hell of a lot of dreddlocks bobbing around....

How long do you think it will go on for? It's getting pretty cold now....

Some pictures from this blog:

http://alles-schallundrauch.blogspot...ie-bilder.html

Quoted website in there is: http://wearechange.ch/

Thanks ...

Over to Rome. As far as I see Italian politics, such a demo in Rome automatically also was an anti-Berlusconi demo ... a demo against a gent who failed to become a kind of Konrad Adenauer but rather becomes an Italian Hosni Mubarak or Antonio Salazar. I just looked at the WEBsite of the Corriere. Terrible indeed. Not least the statue of the nice Madonna ! I can imagine that many people it Italy on such a sight are on tears But NO, there is no "destruction of streets in Rome" even if some destruction of some shops and some destruction of many cars

bit late, but happy birthday wolli. with enough port tasting, i'm sure you had fun!

Happy birthday

When I passed through the protestors were producing some pretty funky music. Lots of people grooving away

Thanks ... and yes they already at 3pm were producing funky music

Happy birthday. I was at the cheese and port tasting and did not get to meet you. What a pity.

Does not having a job exclude the Right to join a demonstration? And what's wrong with natty dreads?

Happy birthday Wolli

It was simply a comment in regards to what your mate Wolli wrote. No I never said the jobless should be excluded from the demonstration and further more I see nothing wrong with natty dreads...... Bugs, bugs, and more bugs.....

Just for you I will gladly reiterate my point as you seem to have totally missed it.

I don't believe, as Wolli stated, that they begun the protest on a Saturday on the grounds that many of them could not abstain from their Monday to Friday jobs. Many of the there that I saw, I don't think have jobs nor want one. Now the problem with dreads, in case you're not aware, is that they harvest many insects, bacteria, mould oh and ringworm. Ringworm not only causes hair loss and itches like hell but is also contagious....

I think it is absolutely great that people are exercising their right of free speech and finally standing up to the countless capitalists that simply suck the life out of this planet and the other 99% of its inhabitants. I only hope they keep going during the week and give the bankers something to think about. Actually not just the bankers but us all. As just about all of us contribute to the likes of child slavery etc

Time for us all to take on a bit more responsibility, wouldn't you say ????

I think a lot of it is just wanting someone, as in a sector of the community that you are not in, to blame. I don't see viable economic solutions being offered, I see whining.

The right blame outsiders, immigrants, benefits recipients etc, the left blame bankers, capitalism, the secret elite etc. Amounts to same thing.

If people hate capitalism so much, what's their alternative? Communism, anarchism?

It's ironic that people use Facebook and twitter to organize the downfall of capitalism.

People I saw there looked as if HAVING jobs. And this view was confirmed by an interview given by Mr Levrat, the SP party chief, who yesterday confirmed that a good part of those demonstrators were/are "Jusos", in other words young members of the Social Democratic Party

Dreadlocks causing problems ? Maybe, but hardly more than heavily curled hair. While I even in the 60ies had relatively short hair, my thing always caught insects, smells, dust, dirt ..... and so I often had to wash hairs just for such reasons. I could not use haircombs as that caused heavy pains, but for decades used brushes instead. I expect people who either have curly hair or dreadlocks to be aware of such things as you describe. Your assumption however that people with dreadlocks have no jobs is absolutly not acceptable.