Myanmar protests grow on Monday - 30,000 hit the streets

Absolutely amazing. The military junta in Myanmar is not known for freedom of expression nor allowing any dissent. A few years ago I attended a performance by the Moustache Brothers in Mandalay shortly after one of the brothers had been released from prison for making what sounded to me like a pretty harmless joke. The joke had been performed a few years earlier at a Suu Kyi rally and the comedian held out a police helmet and asked "what is this?" When people said "police helmet" he laughed and said "no" as he turned it upside down. "It's a collection box" meaning something to carry bribes, as the Myanmar police have a reputation for being extremely corrupt.

That simple joke landed two of the brothers in prison for six years so you can imagine how much is on the line when the people of Myanmar take to the streets to protest the brutal junta.

UPDATE: CNN now reporting 100,000 protesters in Yangon.