[Onthebarricades] AUSTRALIA: Thousands protest APEC in defiance of repression

[Andy]

NOTE: 



Despite the protest being mainly peaceful, police are STILL whining about supposedly being attacked.  What do they expect when they constantly attack and provoke protesters, rescind basic liberties, and engage in violent assaults on the crowd?  They expect to get away with repression and violence without response.

 

After all their intimidation and provocation!  And they refuse to apologise for their fascist tactics even after their predictions of clashes were shown to be false - thus proving that such claims of wanting to stop trouble are simply an excuse, their desire is for totalitarian control as a goal in itself.  They will never be happy until there is no freedom at all - and they know they can get away with lying to the mainstream media.

 

Notice also, that people are being charged with nothing-offences such as "offensive language", "offensive conduct", "refusing searches", "hindering police" etc - basically charged simply for being on the protest, being nonconformist or not obeying every last whim of the police.  Others are on trumped-up charges, including one for videoing police violence.  This kind of demand for submission and punishment of difference is absolutely intolerable.

 

It makes one wonder if protesters weren't maybe too indulgent of the police.

 

 

Re: Police Violence @ An APEC Park Meeting
On September 8th, 2007 David Vakalis (not verified) says:

not allowed to document state brutality - is this fucking china or something?! oh hang on, its apec. maybe the state took some tips from china...

 

 

http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/thousands-march-sydney-despite-heavy-police-presence-and-intimidation

 

Thousands march in Sydney Despite Heavy Police Presence and Intimidation

Posted September 8th, 2007 by Anonymous 


Several thousand gathered outside the Sydney Town Hall between 9.30 and 10 am to protest against Bush, the war in Iraq and the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum leaders meeting. There was a heavy police presence with George, Pitt and Castlereagh streets barricaded by Police buses and police lining the Park street route to Hyde Park North. Despite the heavy police presence and provocation the rally and march were largely peaceful and uneventful.

See also: Police Violence at a Park Meeting, Photo Collage of Rally, 

 

The Stop Bush Coalition who organised the march said that 10,000 people attended while police estimated numbers at 5,000. While many people gathered at the Town Hall, 500 student protestors rallied in Belmore Park and marched to the Town Hall. Another 500 people, primarily trade unionists, gathered outside the Maritime Union of Australia offices and marched to the Town Hall rally. 

At the start of the rally a neo-nazi group of about 20 people dressed in black and some of them with bandanas over their faces gathered at the Town Hall. The police allowed the counter demonstration to be present causing anti-war protestors to accuse the neo-nazis of provocation, with much shouting and chanting. 

At the Town Hall and other convergence points police confiscated banner poles longer than one metre long from anti-war protestors. While the police had the power to confiscate such items in declared zones Alex Bainbridge, from the Stop Bush Coalition disputed their right to do this at the rally and march "We are not in a declared zone, and we do not intend to go anywhere near a declared zone, so by confiscating these poles, the police are actually breaking their own laws." Anti-war protestors noted the police did not confiscate the banner poles from the neo-nazi counter demonstration. 

Damien Lawson urged the the people present to respect that this will be a peaceful protest, and warned people not to be provoked either by people such as the small group of neo-nazis present or plain clothes police and that the march should remain unified and peaceful. 

The march down Park street was led by the Maritime Union of Australia and the Fire Brigade Employees Union. At the corner of Castlereagh and Park streets the march came to a halt for about 20 minutes and organisers called for the crowd to sit down "to mark the loss of democracy". 

Chants included "Howard, Bush, USA, how many kids did you kill today?", 'Troops out now!', 'The workers united will never be defeated!' Banners included 'War criminals not welcome here -- Bush go home'. 

One group of protestors, dressed in formal attire, called themselves 'Billionaires for Bush' and carried banners saying 'Blood for Oil', 'How Many Species Do You Really Need?' and 'Clean Air, Can't Sell It, Who Needs It'. Many others dressed colourfuly or in costumes giving the march a carnival like atmosphere. 

Mamdouh Habib attended the march and said "George Bush is a great evil... He should get out of this country,". Habib was incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay and released in 2005 never being charged with any offence. 

Peter McGregor, who is facing court charges for a Citizens Arrest of Attorney-General Philip Ruddock as a War Criminal at a legal conference at the University of NSW, told Green Left Weekly "whenever war criminals such as George Bush and John Howard appear in public, it's important people come out also in public, to protest them." 

Dan Jones and Paddy Gibson attended the march though being on the police blacklist and have been arrested, along with seven other arrests. Paddy Gibson was later released by police as he was outside declared zones.

The NSW Police intimidated protestors by flexing their new shiny hardware.
A water canon that makes up the centre piece of the Public Order &
Riot Squad. But they never got to use their shiny new toy. (Watch video)

Another example of the excessive police intimidation happened to Chris Ward who took his wheelie bin sound system to the rally and march. "I've been searched three times today for having a wheelie bin sound system," Mr Ward said. Each time the search took half an hour and on least one occasion police reinforcements had to be called when Chris and his sound system and the 'searching' police officers were surrounded by other activists. 

Human Rights monitor Dale Mills described the search as an overreaction to Channel Nine News. "In my opinion, that was just an illegal search," Mr Mills said. "That's the sort of aggressive attitude . that provokes problems at protests." 

At Hyde Park drizzly rain put a damper to the end of the rally with protestors finding shelter under trees and umbrellas. Police have been criticized for forming lines preventing people leaving the end rally in Hyde Park. 

At the end of the march one of the protest organisers, Damien Lawson said "We're very happy, the turnout is double our expectations, there are at least 10,000 people here and it's been a very peaceful march. We got across the key issues: opposition to the war in Iraq, concern about climate change and opposition to John Howard's WorkChoices," he was reported as saying on Skynews. 

See also: Police Violence at a Park Meeting which details one incident of police provocation and also gives details from the Police website that there were 17 arrested on the day. 

Sources: 

  a.. Protest peaceful despite arrests 
  b.. stuff.co.nz via AAP, Reuters Sept 8, 2007 - Protesters march through central Sydney 
  c.. Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - More than 5000 protesters at anti-APEC rally 
  d.. Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - Anti-APEC protesters: united and peaceful 
  e.. Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - Photos: Bush not welcome! 
  f.. Sydney Morning Herald, Sept 8, 2007 - Nine arrested at Sydney APEC protests 
  g.. Ninemsn Sept 8, 2007 - Police swoop on 'wheelie bin boom box' 
  h.. Sky News Sept 8, 2007 APEC protests peaceful 
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Nine-arrested-at-Sydney-APEC-protests/2007/09/08/1188783528898.html

 

Police show force at APEC, 17 arrests
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September 8, 2007 - 6:14AM

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Seventeen people were arrested and two police officers injured in a mostly peaceful anti-APEC protest in Sydney overshadowed by an unprecedented security operation.

Up to 5,000 protesters turned out for the demonstration organised by the Stop Bush Coalition, far fewer than the number forecast by police, who had also warned there could be full-scale violence.

Hundreds of police, many in riot gear and backed by police dogs, riot vehicles and a new water cannon, kept a close rein on the protest march. Police helicopters hovered overhead and officers were stationed on rooftops.

As part of a show of force rarely seen in Australia, authorities used buses to barricade streets leading to APEC venues and closely-ranked police funnelled demonstrators along a set route.

There were violent scuffles, some reportedly involving black-clad neo-Nazi demonstrators, but the APEC week's biggest protest was mostly peaceful and at times had a carnival atmosphere.

Two injured police officers were treated in hospital for head injuries - one hit with a dart and the other allegedly bashed with a crowbar hidden in a rolled-up newspaper.

Protest organisers said the use of hundreds of police to oversee the march from Town Hall to Hyde Park was overkill.

There were also violent scuffles when police detained two protest organisers on an APEC exclusion list, only to release them shortly afterwards.

"The police made a mistake and thought that this is a declared area, which it's not," one of the two, unnamed, men told the Nine Network, while the second accused officers of unnecessary violence.

Eleven men and six women, aged between 20 and 54, were charged with offences including assault, assaulting police, throwing a missile, offensive conduct, resisting arrest, affray, breaching a secure area and hindering police.

A group of up to 120 Stop Bush Coalition members rallied outside Sydney Police Centre and said they would remain until all those charged were released.

NSW police, who had feared a full-scale riot, defended their show of force and the use of special riot buses to block access to the city's security zone.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione would not say how many of the 3,500 police overseeing APEC were at the protest, but said the use of hundreds of officers was warranted.

"The police were out there in big numbers. We don't apologise for that," Mr Scipione told reporters.

"Is that overkill? I don't think so.

"I'd rather be criticised for overkill than not have enough resources."

Mr Scipione said he was pleased with the police operation "and the fact that the majority of protesters complied with the wishes of police".

"That said, I am not happy that police were targeted and assaulted in such a violent manner," he said.

The protest was aimed mainly at drawing the attention of APEC leaders to war in Iraq and the need for action on climate change.

But also present were prostitutes wearing "Sluts Unite" T-shirts and calling for human rights for sex workers.

Two of those detained were wearing nothing but socks over their private parts and shoes, according to witnesses.

Meanwhile about 10 people dressed in business suits, calling themselves the "Billionaires for Bush", stood and heckled the marchers with chants such as "corporate might, not human rights".

Stop Bush Coalition organiser Alex Bainbridge said the protesters' behaviour had been "exceptional".

"The outcome of this rally today, which we said was a peaceful rally, goes to prove the security operation, the scaremongering about violence, has been exposed as a lie," he told AAP.

"It was a smokescreen to divert attention from the real issues."

Mr Bainbridge said protest organisers did not take issue with the way police conducted themselves.

"On the whole, we don't have big problems, but we think the security operation which today they were a part of, has been exaggerated and overblown."

Mr Scipione said he was not aware of any issue with police failing to wear ID badges, as had been alleged by some protesters.

No direction had been given for them not to wear ID, but it was something that would be looked into, Mr Scipione said.

Nine people were arrested and faced charges including assaulting police, throwing a missile, offensive behaviour and resisting arrest after the protest.

© 2007 AAP

http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/police-violence-park-meeting-during-apec

 

Police Violence at a Park Meeting during APEC

Posted September 8th, 2007 by Anonymous 

After receiving an email from a contact in Sydney there has been a scuffle this afternoon in a park, at around 4pm. My contact says: 

 

"Basically the ISO and Solidarity were having a meeting in a park in a normal area (that is, not a declared area), when the police started harrasing them and attempting to arrest Dan Jones and Paddy (dont know his last name), both of whom are on the blacklist. 

The police had no reason to do this, and were attempting to cause trouble. The iso/solidarity people understandably objectd to this illegal (even under the repressive laws that have been introduced) action from happening, and were savagley beaten by the police.

5 people were arrested, as well as Dan and Paddy, however most of them were released without charge (including dan and paddy), or with minor charges of hindering poice. However, there were 2 exceptions. Marcella Olea, a melbourne iso member and well known activist (people may know her from her g20 arrestee solidarity work) was beaten and arrested after refusing to hand over her video footage of the polices violent attack on everyone. She has since been charged with (amongst other charges) affray and assault of police.

Needless to say the ones doing the actual assaulting and affraying were the pigs. Marcella will have a bail hearing tomorrow, where we all hope she will receive bail, but there is no guarentee. As it was not in a declared zone, i think there is still an assumption of bail, but we are not sure. Marcella was also the only woman in the group arrested, so has had no friends with her in her cell. Rrgardless of the bail desision these are serious charges, and will probably become an ongoing matter.

Steve Martin, another iso member, from brisbane, was also arrested and denied bail, and will face the magistrate tomorrow to try and get bail. I dont think he has as serious charges as marcella, but he does have assault [charge/s]."

 

According to the NSW Police website: 

Seventeen arrested in protest activity
8 September 2007 

Police today arrested a further 17 people following protests in central Sydney which left a number of police injured.

Six women and 11 men have been arrested since 11am.

Charge details are:

 A 29-year-old Paddington woman charged with resist police.§
She was granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on
October 11;

 A 25-year-old Woolloomooloo man charged with assault;§

 A man charged with assault police, throw missile;§

 A 21-year-old Epping man charged with offensive conduct.§
He was granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on
October 11;

 A 21-year-old man charged with offensive behaviour. He was§
granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on October 11;

 A Hamilton South man charged with assault, resist police, refuse§ search;

 A 41-year-old man charged with hinder police. He has been granted bail to§ October 11;

 A 31-year-old Lidcombe woman charged with breach a secure area;§

 A 31-year-old woman from Coburg North in Victoria charged with assault§ police, resist arrest and affray;

 A 20-year-old woman charged with hinder police;§

 A 21-year-old Redfern woman charged with hinder police;§

 A 25-year-old Camperdown woman charged with hinder police;§

 A 54-year-old Ashfield man charged with hinder police;§

 A 37-year-old Balmain man charged with assault police;§

 A 35-year-old man from Holder in the ACT charged with offensive language§ and resist arrest;

 A 25-year-old man charged with hinder police and offensive language;§

 A 28-year-old Lilyfield man charged with resist arrest and affray.§

Those arrested have been taken to the Sydney Police Centre with many still being processed.

Two police officers were injured during today's protests with one
officer sustaining a head wound after being hit with an iron bar, the
other sustaining a head injury after being hit with a dart. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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