Johannesburg - Cavey Parker was warned by police: don’t ever return to the Ondekkers bridge.
But this week, the 68 year-old Parker defied law enforcement and was back on the bridge overlooking the N1 Highway with even more vigour and even an entourage of anti-e-toll protesters.
“We heard about Cavey’s banners which police confiscated and decided to bring new banners and to support him,” said Caroline Trumer, a biker who is part of a group of e-tolls activists who, like Parker, also stands on bridges around the city demonstrating her distaste against e-tolls.
The pensioner has been waging a one-man protest on the bridge for two months and he has become a popular face to motorists.
And his popularity was increased recently when motorists saw his new banner displaying “paybackthemoney”.
The hooting was so loud, it was like peak hour traffic at a taxi rank.
But before 68 year-old and his friends could drop the rest of their e-tolls banners, they were surrounded by a group of JMPD officers who came to confiscate their banners and stop them from protesting.
“Do you see what you are causing here? You are causing trouble here. Do you know by-laws? This is like selling here, this is like advertising, you need a certificate, and you need a permit to be here,” one of the officers said while others went for the banners.
An exchange of words that lasted for about 5 minutes ended with JMPD forcefully removing the banners from the bridge and telling Parker and his group to go to their offices to reclaim them.
“I am quite disappointed by the lack of knowledge of the law and by-laws from JMPD officers, there is nothing illegal for these guys to be standing on the bridge. There are less than fifteen people and they don’t need a permit to be here, this is not advertisement,” an angry Rob Hutchinson from the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance said.
“We will continue to support the civil courage by these protestors in their endeavour to end e-tolls”, Hutchinson added, waving his South African flag.
After the officers left, a defiant Parker and friends continued with their protest without banners.
“JMPD just stole our banners again but listen to the sound of hooting, motorists know who we are and what we stand for, they agree with us.
“JMPD will never dampen our spirits; we will not stop us protesting against e-toll, we will win at the end,” Parker said.
Saturday Star