Mr. Straw Hat

"There were riot police in front and behind us. I didn't know where to go. I was feeling really tired. "

And instead of playing cat-and-mouse with the police, I decided that I might as well just sit down on the road, feeling that running away would weaken the call for clean and fair elections."

"I felt at peace (sitting in the middle of the road), because I was no longer running. When on the run, I had to keep thinking about where to go. But once I sat down, I felt calm because the rest was up to the police and not me - whether they want to interfere or not." 

I was suddenly joined by a stranger, a Caucasian male, who held my hand. When I asked him why he did that, the response was, "Solidarity."

I then lowered my head, protected by nothing but my straw hat, and prepared for the incoming tear-gas canisters. The riot police lobbed a barrage of tear-gas grenades, all of which fell behind me and my new-found comrade.

Our actions apparently angered the police officer, who was about to beat us with a T-baton, but hesitated when reporters rushed forward to photograph the scene.




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