After doing volunteer chores at the street mission I fed senile cat and walked over to the park to play drums with all my crazy neighbours. Nice warm spring day with the first signs of green showing.
I played together with about fifty other drummers with a real steady solid groove, as though we were just picking up where we had left off last October. Each time I looked up to see the people dancing, and a rapidly growing crowd I thought Wow! This is getting Huge!
Then with just a chilly breeze going through the crowd I saw signs of friction and disharmony. Several sudden small disputes and anxious glances rippled through the crowd. I got up and carried myself out of the scene in a hurry.
As I walked out, I was able to estimate the crowd at about 8-10,000 people, with hundreds of people arriving, and many were ignoring the crosswalk red lights, challenging traffic and yelling at the motorists. Then, sure enough, many, many police cars arriving, with lights flashing.
Since the days of the Red Square days when university students rioted and disrupted public peace, there has been a general deterioration of the public bond. There is much greater appetite for chaos and disharmony.
It has happened before that agitators have showed up at the percussion jam. I have left before, just hoping that cooler heads will prevail. The percussion jam is a long time tradition in Montreal, and it is very unique peaceful, inclusive multi-cultural, multi-racial beneficial experience.
But I will definitely stay away if others try to subvert it for other purposes. The troublemakers are not anarchists. The correct term is nihilist, not anarchist. There is a big difference.
I have no appetite for chaos. |