Hare Krishna's Release 100 Pidgins in a Car Park

today when about 150 pigeons were released in the car park. It wasn't a new pet shop promotion but a symbolic gesture of peace. The group of Hare Krishnas has been travelling in their bus throughout New South Wales along the coast of North Queensland to Darwin and now back along the eastern coast of Australia in a bid to gain one million signatures to free Krishnas imprisoned in the Soviet Union. While white doves are usually the symbol of peace, Finding 200 doves in Townsville is not the easiest task.

So about 150 pigeons collected by Fred and Margaret Tyrrell of the Townsville Pigeon Racing Club were enlisted to do the job. And although the birds were not used to flying from buses, they soon found their wings. For the Hare Krishnas, the gesture was a beautiful sign of freedom and peace. For the 150 or so pigeons, it was a warm-up for the Big Pigeon Championships in Rockhampton this weekend.