Agi Orfanos, West Beach
We attended the Guy Fawkes festival together with tens of thousands of spectators; families with their children filling restaurants, ice cream shops and our beaches, creating a holiday atmosphere on our beachfront for just this one fabulous night a year whereas almost every other night it remains desolate and eerily empty. As for the protesters, I took a photo and counted around 47. The City says 15 000 attended the fireworks, so the report appears biased in favour of the protesters, who by 8.30pm had dwindled to less than a handful. I wonder if they eventually joined in the spectacle.
As for the hooting motorists, I watched them, most were protesting against the protesters as they drove towards the beachfront.
Sadly there were some injuries, as so often happens in large gatherings or during a holiday traffic exodus whereby many people and children get killed in traffic accidents, yet holidays are not banned.
A wind storm causes more havoc to animals as does a winter storm or summer thunderstorm.
Just a few days ago, after some strong winds, I dropped off two harmed birds at SANCCOB (The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds). As for my husky, it is notoriously popular on Facebook having AWOLED several times, but not over Guy Fawkes.
As for the City, congratulations go out for their backup and standby staff.
The spoilers, however, vociferous in their protests were infinitely outnumbered by tens of thousands of people having an evening out once a year on our otherwise dark, forlorn, stark and empty beaches.
This is a festival which is growing in popularity and is developing into one of the most popular highlights of the year on Blouberg beach with the spectacular backdrop of the ocean and Table Mountain.
