New South Wales Police State

Ten thousand people gathered in Sydney on Sept 8 to protest and march against the war in Iraq, US president Bush, climate in-action, and the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum leaders meeting. There was a heavy police presence with many streets barricaded by Police buses and police lining the approved route to Hyde Park North. Despite the heavy police presence and provocation the rally and march was largely peaceful.

Saturdays' protest was a culmination of a week of protests against the 21 heads of State of APEC, which included a student strike on Sept 5, the Bums not Bombs protest, Aboriginal Tent Embassy, solidarity protests in Melbourne, Perth, and Alice Springs near the infamous Pine Gap US base.

See also: Police Violence at a Park Meeting, Rally Numbers, Burning the US Flag, Police remove badges - more Police violence, Media Coverage

Photos: Collage of Rally, Rally photos on Perth IMC
Videos including Speeches 1, Speeches 2, Rally and March, Police at APEC, Water Cannon Inaction

Earlier in the week Comedians from the satirical ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) show, The Chaser's War on Everything, savaged the APEC security coccoon by driving a fake 3 car motorcade past 2 police checkpoints to President George Bush's hotel. They were detained when a fake Osama Bin Laden climbed out of one of the cars.

When the 21 leaders did sit down together to formally talk on the Saturday they signed the Sydney Declaration on Climate Change, strongly criticicised by environmentalists and climate activists for having no binding targets, effectively being just a "political stunt". The Meeting continued on Sunday discussing a neo-liberal trade agenda and economic issues, the real reason for the meeting. Earlier in the week Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed a deal with Russian President Alexander Putin to sell Uranium to Russia.

See also:

• Sydney IMC Thousands march in Sydney Despite Heavy Police Presence and Intimidation
• 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.
• Perth Indymedia Thousands march against APEC - despite police violence

Photos:

• St Francis of Assissi
• Two policeman with Welcome sign

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