[asia-apec 1567] Melbourne Age on WEF protest

[APEC Monitoring Group]

Police bust the casino blockade
THE FRONT LINE

By ANDREW RULE and ADRIAN ROLLINS
Wednesday 13 September 2000

Over the top: Riot police leap over the barricades to clear a path through
the demonstrators blocking entry and exits at the Crown Casino complex last
night, where up to 10 protesters were injured.
Picture: SIMON O'DWYER , MICHAEL BOWERS



About 200 police in riot gear and wielding batons charged a 10-deep line of
blockading demonstrators outside the World Economic Forum last night,
allowing several bus loads of delegates to leave.

In a carefully planned operation, police from the tactical response unit
charged out of Crown Casino's underground carpark about 7.30pm, smashing
through a human barricade of protesters.

At the same time mounted police charged the demonstrators from the side and
cleared a path for dozens of motorcycle police escorting more than eight
buses on to the casino's forecourt.

Waiting delegates were then ushered on to the buses, which ferried them
through the cleared barricades and on to the Hyatt Hotel for a conference
dinner.


It is believed up to 10 people were taken to hospital as a result of the
violence, although the extent of their injuries was not known last night.
Three Fairfax photographers were among those caught in the skirmish, and had
cameras and other gear smashed.

The night-time charge of the barricades followed similar successful
operations in the morning. All 850 delegates managed to get into the forum
yesterday - earning praise for the police from Premier Steve Bracks.

Police earlier hit back at allegations that they had been too soft on
protesters on Monday, when almost a third of delegates were unable to access
the conference. And a senior officer criticised State Opposition Leader
Denis Napthine and Western Australian Premier Richard Court for ignoring
police advice the day before.

Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Neil O'Loughlin said Mr Court and Dr
Napthine had been foolish to take their own cars to the casino on Monday -
it resulted in both being put in potential danger.

His comments followed Dr Napthine's charge that police had not tried hard
enough to get delegates into the forum, and Mr Court's attack on protesters
as "un-Australian" with "a typical mob mentality".

The force's special response unit was used in a calculated "show of
strength" that saw helmeted police form a wedge and mount a baton charge
that resulted in several protesters going to hospital, one with a suspected
punctured lung.

Several police were also injured during the push, including one who suffered
a suspected heart attack. He was later recovering in hospital.

"We were more precise in what we did this morning in order to get the people
in and that meant a show of strength," Mr O'Loughlin said.

He said Dr Napthine had run into trouble on Monday because "he chose to
attend the forum in a car on his own" against advice. The car, like Mr
Court's, was surrounded by demonstrators and daubed with paint and protest
signs.

Dr Napthine managed to get into the forum on Monday after climbing a
barrier. He said later police had been "too hands-off".

Mr O'Loughlin said the fact that only three demonstrators were arrested
yesterday was no measure of the operation's success. "They (the response
unit) achieved their purpose this morning with the assistance of other
members of the force."

He defended the decision not to use the unit on Monday, saying a change of
circumstances had caused a change of tactics yesterday.

Mr Bracks said using troops to break up the protest would be an "absolute
last resort" that would send the "worst possible message" and be an
overreaction to a protest that had been relatively incident-free under
police control.

He condemned Monday's isolated outbreaks of violence as un-Australian and
praised police for an "absolutely outstanding" job yesterday morning to
ensure all delegates got into the conference.

A small group of militant demonstrators "were absolutely disgraceful
yesterday" and deserved the criticism of all Australians, he said.

"It's just not the Australian way," Mr Bracks told radio 3AW. Protesters had
broken their word that they would be non-violent, he said.

"Trying to restrain people from getting into the venue is effectively a form
of violence which they've pursued which I absolutely deplore and is not
acceptable in the way we operate in Australia."

But he said that, despite millions of dollars lost in police overtime and
casino revenue, it was worth hosting the event because it put Melbourne on
the world stage.

Mr Bracks said the conference was all about corporate responsibility to
shareholders and corporations' relations to government.

Federal Trade Minister Mark Vaile said yesterday that protesters were not
representative of broad public opinion. "I don't think (the protesters) have
genuinely sincere concerns. Australians should seriously be asking `Who are
these people? Who do they represent?'," he told Channel Nine.