It began last Tuesday with anti Ladak insurgents rising up and seizing the official state broadcasting machinery, resulting in inflammatory messages replacing half time scores and a man with a microphone stirring up the crowd.
Yesterday, despite a heavy police presence, the insurrectionists were at it again. Deep underground in his bunker, President Ladak must have felt a shudder as a red card protest lit up proceedings.
Again the loudspeakers were playing revolutionary music designed to whip up the masses – “Money’s Too Tight To Mention”, “The Final Countdown”, and of course, “Do The Hustle”.
As the police net tightened, literally tens of black balloons were released, of which at least three drifted on to the pitch – where one was stamped on later by Danny Mills in what was widely seen as a symbolic gesture of support for the cause. Either that or he was fuming at not being awarded a free kick for a shove in the back.
There were fears that the protest might be quelled by force, but the police were too busy chatting amongst themselves about how they would spend their unexpected overtime windfall.
Meanwhile no tanks clattered across the A6 bridge (President Ladak says his army is still owed outstanding sponsorship money, and should have thought of that before they were conscripted).
However, given his past support for the Palestinian cause, a small part of the President must surely have approved of these protests by another dispossessed group, unfairly deprived of their historic homeland.
For the sake of a peaceful and swift resolution to this crisis, let’s hope so. Because even the Palestinians have had enough of him.
"In the name of Patgod, go!"
