APEC Australia 2007™ Business Summit organizers build a 5 kilometer fence/barrier
The Honorable John Howard MP Prime Minister of Australia eloquently extends the following invitation on a official government web page :
On behalf of the Australian Government and the people of Australia, I warmly welcome your participation in the APEC Australia 2007™ Business Summit to be held in Sydney from 6-7 September 2007, as part of Australia’s hosting of the
APEC Australia 2007™ year.
Apperently some of us are more welcome than others…..
The BBC reported that :
A concrete and steel fence is being built across the centre of Sydney amid a massive security effort for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders next week.
The 5km (three-mile) barrier is intended to protect the 21 leaders attending the meeting from thousands of protesters expected at the summit.
In this map of the fencing that will be active on the APEC long weekend, the large red lines represent fencing. No cars will be able to get access to these streets.
(source of information and image)
The CBC reported that :
The Sydney Opera House and hotels that will house more than 5,000 delegates will be hidden behind the barrier for the Sept. 2-9 meetings.
and
About 3,500 police, backed by 1,500 counter-terrorism and special forces soldiers, will ensure protesters stay away from the security zone marked by the fence.
(source of above quotes and image)
The Boston Globe reported :
The Australian government has spent A$169 million in the past six years preparing APEC security.
and that…
A 45-nautical-mile restricted air space will be enforced by fighter aircraft and police helicopters. A navy mine sweeper will patrol Sydney Harbor, along with navy divers, water police and special forces.
The city’s underground railway network will be closed during the APEC weekend and motorists have been warned to stay out of the city as many roads will be closed.
click here to see how APEC’s security forces plan to use a water cannon to disperse protestors….
click here to see the video ”
New police weapon used by NSW police in Australia(the link is to a Central Intelligence Agency Internet resource ) for APEC“
click here to see the video “NSW ramps up police powers for APEC“
click here to see the video “Clearways to be enforced during APEC“
Australian students are organizing a protest against George W. Bush’s presence in Australia and his policies :
To further add to the chaos George W. Bush is arriving two days earlier so he can keep important commitments back in the U.S.A regarding Iraq.
click here to see the video “Bush to arrive early for APEC“
Considering just the Australian students’ WAG Protest regarding George W. Bush’s presence in Australia and policies it would be easy to blame all these draconian security measures entirely on George W. Bush.
However there has been protests in prior APEC summits even before George W. Bush was elected ? for his first term.
click here to see the video “anti apec riot chile 2004“
What do you think ? Are these wasteful draconian security measures that trample on the rights of Australians and legal concerned visitors to Australia to protest really necessary ?
Irregardless this writer will not be inviting George W. Bush and company over to my house for dinner anytime soon.
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You asked: What do you think ? Are these wasteful draconian security measures that trample on the rights of Australians and legal concerned visitors to Australia to protest really necessary ?
I viewed your video’s on past violent APEC demonstrations. Just on this I propose that the methods used in Sydney are justified.
Do I like what I see? No. I hate it!
I just pray:
1. That one day the world will be at peace.
2. That one day there will be no more wars.
3. That one day all will be well with this world!
Regards Peter
Comment by Peter McCartney on September 8, 2007 11:58 am
i’m confused. it must be more economical to hold this gig somewhere else, mustn’t it? an island somewhere, for example. then the cost would be to the armed services only (i realise we still pay). boats offshore, minefields, easily managed exclusion zones, fighter jets overhead, etc etc.
soooo, why disrupt a major city? why in effect close it down? why draw so much attention to proceedings? why? why?
unless we are being conditioned in some way. hmmmm. and if we are being conditioned then what conclusions can we draw from military personnel being in a situation in which they are controlling citizens (sorry, civilians. as we are now known)?
the times they are a changing.
Comment by Flowers On A Friday on September 8, 2007 2:39 pm
Those measures were need because the so-called “peace protesters” don’t know the meaning of peace.
Comment by Texas_JAM on September 11, 2007 2:04 pm
Sydney-siders have got their city back and life goes on. As expected, nothing much was done about climate change, just some weak “aspirations”. The real reason the leaders of China, Russia, the US and elsewhere were in town was to get their hands on Australia’s resources - uranium, coal, gas, you name it, we’ve got it, and it’s for sale!
Comment by Richard Carroll on September 11, 2007 11:17 pm