A Night at Occupy Sydney in Martin Place

Spent a few hours at Occupy Sydney in Martin Place, where there was an energised and peaceful gestalt buzz; rather extraordinary that about 80 people are living in an open community in between the corporate towers, and plaza fountains. Since the event began on Saturday,  each day at least another ten people have joined, one of the Occupiers said. It's 12.41 am now and I am having a coffee at MacDonalds on George Street, where a noisy fight broke out in a group of young lads in the hamburger queue, the air is electric with aggression; they are escorted or thrown outside onto the street. Then a police van arrived and female and male police officers conduct upper torso strip searches of the  brawling boys on the street directly outside the very window next to where I'm sitting (Of course all this has nothing to do with Occupy Sydney...) It all goes on for quite a while. I have to avert my eyes and occupy myself with checking my emails and teaching notes.  This is the third violent fight incident with intoxicated young people  that I passed since walking away from peaceful OS. It's another world down here on George Street. The wild west! I am considering going back to OS for the night. I forgot warm socks and it is chilly. But there's a lot of warmth from the people there that compensates for the chill in the night air. Met interesting friendly people, who've been there for days and had long conversations; with P. who told me he has not been to a protest since 1978...  The creative peaceful, alternative community feeling of creating something new and counter-cultural, and the way that strangers were talking to each other like friends reminded me of Australia in the late 70s.