Alysha (Alice) Simic

It’s a sight of pandemonium. Police in pitch-black riot gear wields shields and batons as loud shouting encompasses the scene. The parties shove against each other, and impassioned yells and raised fists demanding change are met with expressions of stony resolve and mechanical warnings. An officer abruptly brandishes a gun, its menacing barrel pointed directly toward the crowd. He fires, releasing a torrent of rubber bullets that cut through the thick mist of tear gas and sweat. Mass hysteria ensues as some protesters struggle to leave in a panic whilst others push on defiantly. Arrests are made as the crowd continues to thin out, leaving nothing but scattered debris and a tense atmosphere of resentful surrender that hangs in the air. There will be no more resistance today.