AUSTRALIA LPSG! is THIS true?

bendigoboi

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I think this has at least as much to do with little Johnnie trying to do his "man of steel" act in the very faint hope that he might be re-elected later in the year.

I was in Singapore last year when Dubya was there, and they certainly didn't do anything like this! (In fact we were staying near where he was, and I didn't see any snipers or notice too many helicopters)
 

tretoen77

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At first I thought it was a protest, a full-scale representation of what's happening to palestinians in Israel. I hadn't heard about this before I read parts of the linking story. So my first reaction was "Hey, cool!". But, when I read about the Bush-part, I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. What is the world coming to! Isn't this going to far? Why not hold the summit/meeting some place desolated and out of the way. Not in a crowded city!! Jeezlouiz!
 

jason_els

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At first I thought it was a protest, a full-scale representation of what's happening to palestinians in Israel. I hadn't heard about this before I read parts of the linking story. So my first reaction was "Hey, cool!". But, when I read about the Bush-part, I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. What is the world coming to! Isn't this going to far? Why not hold the summit/meeting some place desolated and out of the way. Not in a crowded city!! Jeezlouiz!

It's a display of power. That's why. They do it because they have cooperation and the will to. The policy of speak softly and carry a big stick has given way to wield an enormous stick and blather like a moron.
 

bendigoboi

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Could have easily been held on an island resort off Queensland - much easier to secure and no hassles for local workers just trying to earn a living.

But this is all about the Australian election, and the man who has been Prime Minister for the last 11 years not wanting to accept that he is well past his "use-by" date!
 

Elmer Gantry

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Now that's some good thinking. Hamilton Island or Great Keppel is fantastic this time of year. And they only need to use those funky little golf carts to get around in.
 

Elmer Gantry

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I love these guys

Chaser team says police gave OK to APEC stunt

By staff writers and wires

September 07, 2007 08:47am
Article from: NEWS.com.au

* Chasers say police gave them permission
* Police bosses angry, not amused
* Gallery See the fake security passes that actually worked

The Chaser pranksters charged for breaching APEC security with a bogus motorcade that came close to George W Bush's hotel say police gave them permission.

ABC TV which airs the satirical The Chaser's War on Everything, and the program's producers, said in a statement last night that the Chaser team had no intention of entering the APEC restricted zone.

They had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone, the statement said.

"The motorcade proceeded down Macquarie Street with the permission of police.

"When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around.

"The police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama bin Laden."

What do you think their punishment should be?


Chasers surprised


A source inside the show has told The Daily Telegraph the team never expected to get so far. The skit had been approved by ABC lawyers but was written in the assumption they would be stopped at the first checkpoint.

Instead they were waved through the first on Macquarie St, then a second, which had sniffer dogs, and eventually stopped themselves at Bridge St.

"As they did Chas got out of a car dressed as Osama bin Laden and said something like 'I'm an important world leader why don't I have a seat at the APEC table?'. Apparently that was the first time the police realised it was not authentic and they swooped in and arrested everybody," the source said.

The ABC statement said the Chaser team members were wearing mock "insecurity" passes, which expressly stated they were a joke.

But the head of the APEC investigation squad, NSW Police Force Detective Superintendent Ken McKay was not amused.

He issued his own statement last night, but he did not mention police had given permission to the comedians.

"While it appears it was a prank, the current APEC security environment isn't the place to do it," he said.

"Who they are is irrelevant - they were charged like anyone else who breaks the law."

The stunt exposed an embarrassing and potentially dangerous flaw in the $250 million security measures put in place to protect 21 world leaders, many of whom will converge on Sydney today for the start of the APEC summit.

Officers involved in the APEC security operation revealed last night that police manning CBD roadblocks are frequently not told whether motorcades coming toward them are legitimate.

"We're amazed at the lack of communication that allowed this to happen but how are they to know whether a motorcade is legitimate when they're not supposed to stop them and nothing is broadcast over the (police) radio," an officer said.

A NSW Police spokesman last night denied a lack of communications led to the security blunder and said adequate communication systems were in place.

Eleven arrested

The convoy of three black cars, decked out to resemble an official Canadian motorcade, came within metres of the hotel where US President George W Bush is staying, before finally being pulled over by authorities.

Eleven people were arrested, including Licciardello, who sat in the back of one of the cars dressed as Osama bin Laden.

Also arrested was Julian Morrow, who posed as a security guard running alongside the motorcade.

All 11, ten men and one woman aged between 25 and 47, were charged with entering a restricted area without justification.

The charge comes under newly legislated APEC laws that restrict anyone from entering declared zones during APEC.

Authorities had warned there would be a presumption against bail for people arrested in the APEC security zone, but all were granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on October 4.

- from AAP and The Daily Telegraph


Video Clip - Chasing the Chasers
 

Elmer Gantry

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After a week of this crap I'm pretty pissed off over the actions of the Aust. government and the police that have done their bidding. This "culture of fear" that the right wing have been cultivating for the last decade is getting old. I thank all of the protestors who turned out in Sydney yesterday for keeping it as peaceful as possible, doing anything else would only have been playing into their hands.

To the masked men standing on the fringes of this demonstration, I mark you as cowards perpetrating treasonous activities. Provoking demonstrators into violence to further your nasty little agenda is evil and unworthy of being an Australian citizen. You know who you are.

To the NSW police officers who were ordered to arrest people under no other pretence than for being on "a list", I feel your shame and embarrasment. You have actually done your best to try and uphold the nature of the good Aussie Copper, looking out for everyones best interests and keeping it as fair as you can.

To the NSW government for passing totalitarian "anti terrorist" laws late at night in parliament while no one is watching (especially lazy network journo's who have all gone home by then) I deplore your cowardly acts and despise you for assisting the transition into a culture of fear thatthis country does not need.

To the journo's who sat around and watched it happen, I hope you well may realise the path you are helping to lead us down. Unfortunately and sadly, you probably won't.

To the journo's who did try to make a noise about it, I say keep it up. Although it can be soul destroying and fustrating, your actions all help to achieve some sort of balance. It gets even the best of us down. The most depressing thing I've seen lately was Robert Fisk's retirement interview wher after 30 years of mid East reporting, all he can say is none fo what he wrote had any impact on the course of events. While it does appear this way, I still believe that it does make a difference. I guess I'm still that young.

Australians have made a habit of sitting back and using saying like "only in America" but we are rapidly moving into the same dead end of modern serfdom. The sooner we realise what a lie we have been fed by Lil Johnnie and get someone else (anyone else) into the PM's chair, the better.