Protesters, cops clash at ‘Economic
Olympics’
Australian activists: End global exploitation and
inequality now!
By Gery Armsby
Just days before the opening of the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia, protesters faced brutal attacks by
police during mass demonstrations against the World Economic
Forum in the streets of Melbourne Sept. 11-13.
The U.S.-dominated WEF is the same clique of bosses from
the world's largest transnational corporations that initiated
the World Trade Organization. A worldwide movement was
launched against the WTO in the streets of Seattle last
year.
The WEF's Asia/Pacific Summit in Melbourne, held against a
backdrop of international Olympics hype, provided a ripe
opportunity for organizers to mount a militant and highly
visible anti-capitalist struggle.
Early each morning of the three-day summit-dubbed
'Economic Olympics' by the media- protest groups, Aboriginal
people's organizations, labor unions and many international
activists converged at the entrance of the Crown Towers
Casino and Hotel to blockade the bosses' meeting.
Their battle cry was: "Shut down the WEF! End global
exploitation and inequality now!"
Thousands of people successfully blocked access to the
Crown Towers at the summit's Sept. 11 opening session. At
least 200 of the 850 delegates could not get in.
Buses and cars carrying delegates were delayed. Some
turned back after long delays.
According to first-hand accounts posted on the Internet,
protesters continued to pour into the streets around the
summit all day, despite rough weather conditions, including a
morning downpour, bitter cold and high winds.
Highly-organized affinity groups were deployed to block
all hotel entrances. They held their ground. Police were
unable
to gain any strategic edge over the huge crowds for most of
the first day.
The cops used a variety of tactics to test the
demonstrators' resolve.
For example, they tried wedging through the human
blockades with horses, Hummer jeeps and densely packed squads
of police on foot. But to no avail.
On Sept. 12, the police mounted a new offensive. They set
up a network of virtually impenetrable steel mesh barricades
from which they launched repeated attacks against
protesters.
Shortly before mega-billionaire and Microsoft Chair Bill
Gates was slated to speak at the Crown Casino, 500 cops
smashed through a human chain of activists that had blockaded
WEF delegates. Protesters were trampled by riot-gear-clad
cops on horseback.
Dozens were seriously injured. At least 19 were
hospitalized.
As the third day of actions got underway Aug. 13, reports
began to come over the Internet about labor- and women's
group-led rallies and marches.
What is WEF?
Like other targets of recent international protest such as
the WTO, International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the WEF
promotes economic and social policies that benefit the
world's billionaires at the expense of the working class,
poor and oppressed nations.
The small class of capitalist billionaires--along with
their political servants in the imperialist governments and
pro-capitalist academics and "experts"--huddle together at
meetings in expensive hotels to scheme about how they can
best soak the workers and peasants in the interests of
generating bigger profits.
Of the 1,008 members of the WEF representing 69 countries,
228 are from the United States. Only 258 WEF members are from
the African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern nations
combined. But those countries make up the vast majority of
the world's population.
The Melbourne meeting is especially aimed at heightening
the exploitation of Asian and Pacific peoples.
The WEF's annual world meeting is held in the remote
village of Davos, Switzerland--at a ski resort. Last February
several hundred protesters confronted the WEF there.
Violence-baiting
State agencies and the big-business media in Melbourne
carried out a weeks-long violence-baiting campaign against
anti-capitalist protesters before the summit. The "official"
press accounts of Sept. 11 and 12 completely contradict many
eyewitness accounts of cop brutality.
Indymedia.org--an independent media Web site that carries
extensive coverage of international protests against
imperialist globalization--reported Sept. 12 that a police
press release stated, "Despite being pelted with eggs,
bottles and a variety of other objects, police used the
minimal force necessary to allow the delegates safe
passage."
The progressive Web site commented: "...IndyMedia
representatives who were on the scene at the time saw no eggs
or 'other objects' thrown. The police used unnecessary force
both this morning at 8 a.m. and this evening at 7.30 p.m.
Neither of the two riot police advances were preceded by any
warnings to the protesters.
"This morning 500 police outnumbered 150 protesters. This
evening 700 protesters were again outnumbered by more than
1,500 police, including mounted officers, riot squad equipped
with batons and canines.
"The attacks came without warning and panicked the
protesters, who scattered to avoid the hooves of horses and
batons, fists and feet of riot police. Nineteen people have
been confirmed hospitalized. Many more suffer from shock.
"The mainstream media is depicting protesters as violent
and antagonistic where it has been demonstrated that it is
indeed undisciplined police who are perpetuating any violence
at the Casino."
Indigenous people, labor unions and others plan to
continue the spirit of resistance with mass protests at the
Summer Olympics in Sydney starting Sept. 15.
IndyMedia is working to document the police abuse and is
urging anyone who has video footage of the brutality to
contact them by e-mail mim@antimedia.net.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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