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Having just watched “Law & Disorder: Johannesburg” a documentary by Louis Theroux, I am increasingly aware of the seeming injuctice of those who “uphold” justice. Here below Ryan “Brown” Dalton talks about his recent experience with one of the street kids:

As i was walking to the Internet cafe this morning i was really at a loss as to what i was going to write about. I have so many different thoughts, experiences and emotions swirling around in my head. I was struggling to piece them together into something that might make since. I had decided to just write a couple of sentences and hope that i had my thoughts together by this afternoon. But then something happened. A few minutes after i sat down at the computer Bonani, one of the small Long Street kids, walked in the door. He did not greet me with his trademark smile however. He quickly walked up to me and as he got closer i could see he was crying. He came close to me and leaned against my side crying. He had a golf ball sized knot over his left eye, with blood dripping from it. I few smaller knots on his forehead, also with cuts on the peaks. As i hugged him i noticed he was soaking wet.

His hands were totally withered like someone who had spent way too long in the bath tub. His eyes were swollen and blood shot; which i later found out was from tear gas. He asked me to contact a social worker because the Security had picked him up and taken him to the police last night. They beat him, sprayed him with tear gas, sprayed him down with water, and beat him some more. He is starving and has not had anything to eat. I do not know what provoked this response from the Security, but i do know that beating a child and spraying him with tear gas is never acceptable! No matter what! I can’t write long because he is sitting beside me sleeping, waiting for me to “help” him. I have no cell phone to call for help and only a few rand to buy him something to eat. I wanted to take a minute to write this because this is the kind of story that needs to get out. It is very ironic that such a small child got beat up by the very people who are supposed to be “keeping the peace”, WITHIN the 16 days of activism against violence towards women and children!! I say enough is enough!

Find the rest of his posts on his blog: 365 Days of Activism

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1. >365 Days of Activism – Let the images be burned to your mind!
2. >Standing Up – 365 Days of Activism
3. 365 Days of Activism – Role Reversal
4. The 12 Days of Christmas – Revised Version!