Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=293205
Tuesday Sep 4 13:00 AEST
By ninemsn staff with wires
Sydney's week of APEC madness has begun in earnest, with demonstrators staging their first protest and police preparing to close down roads for US President George Bush's arrival.
Around 200 demonstrators attended a peaceful rally near Central Station at 5pm today, with chants of "go home Bush" and anti-war banners drawing attention at the busy intersection.
The protest was being closely monitored by around 60 police, many on mountain bikes, who formed a ring around the rally to separate the crowd from busy George Street.
Police also warned today that they would be targeting truant protestors — and anyone caught skipping class would be reported to both their parents and school.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione also warned students that if they were involved in violence, they would be arrested.
"Truancy operations don't allow us to arrest children — that's not what they're about," Mr Scipione said.
"However, if they break the law, if they commit an offence, they'll be treated like any other person."
While the Railway Square protest was incident free, Stop the War Coalition spokesman Alex Bainbridge was not impressed with the heavy police presence, which included several members of the riot squad.
"This is a scare tactic by the police and the government," Mr Bainbridge said.
"I think there is a lot more people who are prepared to say that they can't let this intimidation go ahead and will come along and support us anyway."
A fellow Stop the War Coalition member, who identified herself as Jacqueline X, was also keen to blame the government and police for raising tensions between the camps.
"I think Morris Iemma came out in the media and said we are 'violent ferals'," the woman said.
"I really don't understand the semantics of that term.
"I don't classify myself as a violent feral. I classify myself as a person of ethical and moral standing, and the things I feel very strongly about are war in Iraq, worker's rights and nuclear power in this country."
She said that many of her friends had aborted plans to attend the rally, for fear of "being arrested" by heavy-handed police.
"We're very worried about the new legislative powers that the government's allowed police," Jacqueline said.
"We're worried it's going to intimidate people from coming out."
An emotional ex-US Iraq serviceman also spoke at the protest, voicing his condemnation of the war.
Meanwhile, Sydney's eastern distributor motorway will be temporarily closed from 9pm tonight to allow President Bush's motorcade to take the president to his hotel in the CBD.
NSW Transport Minister John Watkins warned of severe traffic disruptions over the week, especially at morning peak hour on Thursday when Mr Bush travels from his hotel to Darling Harbour.
The city's Macquarie Street off-ramp from the Cahill Expressway has also been closed on Tuesday until the end of APEC on Sunday.
Tuesday Sep 4 13:00 AEST
By ninemsn staff with wires
Sydney's week of APEC madness has begun in earnest, with demonstrators staging their first protest and police preparing to close down roads for US President George Bush's arrival.
Around 200 demonstrators attended a peaceful rally near Central Station at 5pm today, with chants of "go home Bush" and anti-war banners drawing attention at the busy intersection.
The protest was being closely monitored by around 60 police, many on mountain bikes, who formed a ring around the rally to separate the crowd from busy George Street.
Police also warned today that they would be targeting truant protestors — and anyone caught skipping class would be reported to both their parents and school.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione also warned students that if they were involved in violence, they would be arrested.
"Truancy operations don't allow us to arrest children — that's not what they're about," Mr Scipione said.
"However, if they break the law, if they commit an offence, they'll be treated like any other person."
While the Railway Square protest was incident free, Stop the War Coalition spokesman Alex Bainbridge was not impressed with the heavy police presence, which included several members of the riot squad.
"This is a scare tactic by the police and the government," Mr Bainbridge said.
"I think there is a lot more people who are prepared to say that they can't let this intimidation go ahead and will come along and support us anyway."
A fellow Stop the War Coalition member, who identified herself as Jacqueline X, was also keen to blame the government and police for raising tensions between the camps.
"I think Morris Iemma came out in the media and said we are 'violent ferals'," the woman said.
"I really don't understand the semantics of that term.
"I don't classify myself as a violent feral. I classify myself as a person of ethical and moral standing, and the things I feel very strongly about are war in Iraq, worker's rights and nuclear power in this country."
She said that many of her friends had aborted plans to attend the rally, for fear of "being arrested" by heavy-handed police.
"We're very worried about the new legislative powers that the government's allowed police," Jacqueline said.
"We're worried it's going to intimidate people from coming out."
An emotional ex-US Iraq serviceman also spoke at the protest, voicing his condemnation of the war.
Meanwhile, Sydney's eastern distributor motorway will be temporarily closed from 9pm tonight to allow President Bush's motorcade to take the president to his hotel in the CBD.
NSW Transport Minister John Watkins warned of severe traffic disruptions over the week, especially at morning peak hour on Thursday when Mr Bush travels from his hotel to Darling Harbour.
The city's Macquarie Street off-ramp from the Cahill Expressway has also been closed on Tuesday until the end of APEC on Sunday.
