APEC Media Roundup: PROTESTS – September 9, 2007

Links to coverage of the APEC 2007 protests in Sydney this week from media around the Pacific rim.

Media from:

Sydney Morning Herald

Protesters no match as police rule streets
Danielle Teutsch and Daniel Dasey

POLICE Commissioner Andrew Scipione denied police were heavy-handed at yesterday's APEC protest rally, at which 11 arrests were made during a mostly peaceful event. LINK

Police defend lockdown

The protection of Sydney and its residents during the APEC summit justifies the massive security operation weighing on the city, the NSW police chief says. LINK

Scuffles after APEC march
Edmund Tadros and Dylan Welch

Scuffles between police and protesters broke out after a smaller than predicted number of demonstrators staged a short and peaceful march in central Sydney against the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum. LINK

The Age

Protesters moon APEC motorcade
A protest involving around 50 bare-bottomed activists spilled onto Sydney streets today, stalling an APEC motorcade and triggering scuffles with police. LINK

Police injured, several held
Andrea Petrie

TWO police were injured and 17 demonstrators arrested in marches through central Sydney against the summit.
LINK

ABC Online

Calls for protest arrest charges to be dropped

The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties is calling for police to drop charges against some of the people arrested during APEC.LINK

Inymedia Sydney

Thousands march in Sydney Despite Heavy Police Presence and Intimidation

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. LINK

Was it 3K or really 10K at the SBC rally and march? It does matter!

Crowd estimates are quite difficult but what intrigues this writer is that the police are running a line there were only 3,000. LINK

APEC: The Sydney Declaration a Climate Distraction

While thousands of people protested in the streets of Sydney about the war in Iraq, climate change, and civil liberties, the 21 APEC leaders made a fashion statement on the steps of the Opera House, before meeting inside and signing the Sydney Declaration - a statement on climate change, that is being widely criticised by environmentalists and climate activists. LINK

Stop Bush 2007

STOP BUSH demonstration exceeds organisers expectations

10,000 protesters crowded in to the Anti APEC rally at Town Hall this morning far exceeding the estimated 5000 expectations of the rally organisers. Many of those participating said they were determined to attend, galvanised by the police harassment and threats. LINK

Greenpeace

APEC declaration a Sydney distraction from action on climate change

Sydney, Australia — “The Sydney Declaration is really just a Sydney distraction from real action on climate change,” Greenpeace energy campaigner Catherine Fitzpatrick said. “This week we have seen a new coal mine approved in NSW, more uranium being pushed out the door and George Bush confusing APEC with OPEC. This demonstrates the real agenda behind what has happened here in Sydney which is taking us in the wrong direction.” LINK

Green Left

'We are the majority'
Pip Hinman

The following speech was delivered by Pip Hinman, a member of Sydney’s Stop the War Coalition and the Socialist Alliance, to the September 8 “Stop Bush” protest in Sydney. LINK

More than 5000 protesters at anti-APEC rally
Emma Murphy, Sydney

Continuing their harassment, police have begun confiscating banner poles from activists at Town Hall and at the various convergence points. Alex Bainbridge, from the Stop Bush Coalition has told the media “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.” Under the new laws, police are able to confiscate poles of over one metre, within the “declared zones”. As an example of the politicised role the police a playing in these protests, a small, pro-Bush gathering, which is taking place closer to the “declared zone”, has not had its long banner poles confiscated. LINK

CNN

Cheeky protesters target Bush, leaders

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Fears of violent protests involving thousands of people over the Asia-Pacific economic summit fizzled on Saturday into a peaceful march through downtown Sydney. LINK

ENDS

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