Be approved not annoying.

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Matthew, 21.12-13

It appears that annoyoance is now prosecutable under the law. People found being annoying, doing annoying things, carrying annoying placards or banners and wearing annoying T-shirts will be subject to prosecurion under powers vested in the police for World (the Catholic part anyway) Youth Day (week). The NSW Governments - absolutely on its own recognaissance - has decided that those participating in WYD activities need to be protected from being "annoyed".

God, what an airy-fairly legal term that will prove to be. I can truthfully assert that at some stage of my work day I will be annoyed by someone or something or some action. I have yet to ask anyone to be prosecuted for it though.

One, it seems, can have their "annoyance" profile reduced by submitting both the details of their protest as well as any and all resources to be used in same (the above mentioned placards, banners and T-shirts) to the police for annoyance vetting. The NSW police will, I suppose, have undergone a crash course in what exactly it is that constitutes "annoying" and what does not.

This on behalf of one the largest and well to do religions of the world. It is easy - perhaps too easy - to understand why protests conducted by those sexually abused by Catholic Clergy in this country (and others) would need to be "screened" before "approval". One might easily see that protest regarding the systemic sexual abuse of the powerless by those vested with the trust and power that goes with their clerical positions - as well as the systemic covering up of same - might be seen to "annoy" some who will attend.

I'd suggest the NSW government and its police force take a leaf out of the Church's traditional manual in this regard and transfer "annoying" protests, placards, banners and T-shirts elswhere in the country. This is just what the Church did , for decades, with its abusive clergy. Out of sight...

That might look a bit too obvious. Far better to decide that a protest and its placards might be "annoying". Perhaps, after all, the police will decide that none of those with issues to air are "annoying". Right...

World Youth Day (week) will, then, take place in a sanitised bubble. Well, at least an "annoyance" free bubble.

Good thing the NSW police and its government weren't about in Judea some 2,000 years back. Jesus, perhaps the greatest of all individual protest movements, will likely have been deemed "annoying" very early on and may not ever have seen the light of day. Oh, that's right, they did deem him annoying in the end: they crucified him.

I wonder what he'd make of the pomp and pageantry? Who would he see as the Pharisees today? What might he make of the plethora of religious artefacts for sale so as each pilgrim's experience is complete? The catalogue - with items from a couple of dollars to two grand apiece - can be downloaded here. I'd imagine that the T-shirts are not annoying - so long as you're a party to the religion. The quote from Matthew at top comes to mind; it's worth re-stating:

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Perhaps, were he to visit and say his piece, the police might deem Jesus annoying. Just as he was 2,000 years ago. Would the disciples be deemed placards, posters or T-shirts?

Protests need our blessing say police...