Sydney-siders escape to Canberra

Anticipating, or planning?

Where exactly did all this talk about violent protesters come from anyway?

The best evidence the cops could come up with is that someone maybe published a flyer for the hardcore anarchists (who would potentially make up around .1% of the whole protest) saying that a hanky doused in vinegar counters tear gas and it might be a good idea to wear runners.

They found no secret army of anarcho-ninjas out there, no plans to do anything but march and chant and sell copies of green left weekly as far as I can see.

You’d almost think that the powers that be want a bit of civic strife, the way they’re trying to pump everyone up. (Reminds me a little of the leadup to Cronulla actually)

And what happens to the issues the protesters are trying to raise? Silenced in the fear campaign.

I call shenanigans.

i like violent protests because of my deep passion for chaos/disaster etc – of course viewed from afar. I wanna see some shite go down – it makes for great TV.

But Thumper, the protesters are doing it all for us – because they care!

I must admit, I can’t wait to see the carnage when the water cannon lets rip! 🙂

Quite frankly I am sick to death of hearing how much of an inconvenience APEC is to Sydney! The media (and some Sydneysiders) constantly say that Sydney should be the capital city of Australia anyway, but when an event like this occurs they whinge about all the hassle it creates!

I’d rather have all this security, rather than take the risk of having a foreign leader topped because we all like to think it’s all so safe here. And it’s not all about Bush either – any of those APEC leaders could be a target for some looney.

Plus, some of those violent tossers who are threatening to cause all sorts of chaos at the protest on Saturday are part of the reason for some much security too. I think peaceful protests are a great thing, but I truly hope the Police beat the living crap out of the ones who cause trouble.

Surely the wall they built at huge expense was unneccessary. They don’t do that when the Asian countries host APEC do they?

I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere.

It’s supposed to showcase Sydney on the world stage. But the dignitaries wont get to see the city pulsing with life, tourists at the Opera House, buskers at Circular Quay, masses of boats on the harbour, they won’t even get to see the animals at Taronga Zoo. They’ll go home and say “Sydney is a dead, boring city”.

By the way, do you think if Dubya went for a morning walk with 2 security guards, like JW, that anything would happen? I reckon they (we?) have necessitated all this OTT security due to a culture of fear. Then again, if he went out without his security detail and something did happen, there’d be hell to pay.

“Showcase Sydney on the world stage” I believe was one of the reasons given. Though I think that’s what the Olympics were for.

V8, I agree. What’s the point of having them in a major population centre if no-one is going to see them? It’s not like they’re really doing anything anyway – nothing that’s not properly handled through secret telephone calls and behind-closed-door handshakes. Screw them. This is yet another nail being quickly hammered shut on the coffin of the Howard Government.

Hubby is in Sydney working for APEC, and he’s just called me from a pub near the Intercontinental to say that they’ve been locked into the area – there are big gates up and they’ve been locked closed. When he asked security how long they’d be locked they said they couldn’t tell him. I guess I can think of worse places to be locked in, at least he’s got the pub!

Why don’t they just rent out a whole Whitsunday Island or something? Nicer than Sydney, no room for protesters (or even opportunity to get there), armed forces patrols sea and air. Easy! And, it doesn’t disrupt normal life.

Sydney can keep the APEC chaos.

I feel sorry for the small business people that have had their trade completely buggerred for a whole week so that little Johnny can play big grown up world leader with his mate Dubya.

Dickhead.

Telegraph website didn’t have comment enable for this story so I though I post the following remark in responce to a comment by Dubya here.

“”I’m looking forward to you buying me lunch today. I’m a meat guy,”
-George W “dubya” Bush (quote from Telegraph)

Doesn’t he mean “i’m a meathead”