APEC meeting: Thousands march in Sydney Despite Heavy Police Presence and Intimidation

Photo: Green Left Weekly

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:

• Protest peaceful despite arrests
• stuff.co.nz via AAP, Reuters Sept 8, 2007 - Protesters march through central Sydney
• Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - More than 5000 protesters at anti-APEC rally
• Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - Anti-APEC protesters: united and peaceful
• Green Left Weekly Sept 8, 2007 - Photos: Bush not welcome!
• Sydney Morning Herald, Sept 8, 2007 - Nine arrested at Sydney APEC protests
• Ninemsn Sept 8, 2007 - Police swoop on 'wheelie bin boom box'
• Sky News Sept 8, 2007 APEC protests peaceful