Parades and Protests
Melbourne's original plan, the Hoddle Grid, was designed to be devoid of public meeting spaces and squares in a bid by Governor Gipps to discourage democracy. However, Melburnians have defied this anti-democratic planning strategy with a history punctuated by public cultural expression and vocal activism.
The city's wide thoroughfares have become the conduit for the city's parades, marches and rallies. Swanston Street and Bourke Street are regarded widely as the civic spines of the city and, more recently, Federation Square has become a venue for mass gatherings.
Some of the largest demonstrations in the southern hemisphere have taken place in Melbourne:
- Industrial relations demonstration (2005) - more than 100,000 attendees
- Anti-Iraq War demonstration (2003) - more than 100,000 attendees
- Melbourne Vietnam Moratorium (1970) - approximately 100,000 attendees
- Save Live Australian Music (SLAM) rally (2010) - approximately 20,000 attendees
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Melbourne
Famous quotes containing the word parades:
“What makes the United States government, on the whole, more tolerable—I mean for us lucky white men—is the fact that there is so much less of government with us.... But in Canada you are reminded of the government every day. It parades itself before you. It is not content to be the servant, but will be the master; and every day it goes out to the Plains of Abraham or to the Champs de Mars and exhibits itself and toots.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)