Re: Fwd: S11 Tuesday

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I hope comrades will find this post of interest.

regards

Gary
>>Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 14:17:02 +1000
>>From: Linda Gale <lgale@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Subject: S11 Tuesday
>>Sender: owner-ausfem-polnet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




>>Well, I think I've been living in a parallel universe, because when I got
>>home last night and watched the television news, I learned that the peaceful
>>protest I'd attended for most of the day was in fact the scene of "mounting
>>violence" as the "protest got out of hand".  Strike me pink!  Could this
>>possibly be the same S11 protest that I'd been at?
>>
>>Yes and no.  The clashes between police and protesters did happen.  In every
>>case, the police charged the demonstrators with little or no warning, using
>>force as a first option.  Presumably they had decided that a warning to the
>>crowd would more likely have led to the boosting of numbers at the pressure
>>points rather than an orderly dispersal of the crowd.  I think this was a
>>fair assumption.  Does it justify charging a crowd in a surprise attack?  It
>>seems that depends who you ask.
>>
>>As I reported yesterday, although I was at a couple of the incidents which
>>have been described by the media as examples of violence, I did not see any
>>violence on the part of protesters.  I was not at the main clash at the
>>Queensbridge end.  What I did see was:
>>
>>* a sudden onslaught by police simultaneously from in front and behind a
>>blockade group.  The obvious objective was to drive a line of police through
>>the middle of the blockade and to hold open a path for vehicles to enter the
>>casino.  There were a few moments during which the taller of us could see
>>what was likely to happen.  The protest marshall gave advice about linking
>>arms and holding tight.  Other members of the group gave contradictory
>>advice about sitting down, turning round, leaning back, leaning forward.
>>The police definitely DID NOT ask us to disperse peacefully.  Some people
>>were indicating that they wanted out - but there was no way to move out of
>>such a tightly packed group.  Others were shouting abuse at the police, or
>>chanting slogans about globalisation.  And then it was on.  We were squashed
>>between two lines of police, with nowhere to move except up against a
>>concrete and wire barrier.  One policeman clearly lost his temper when
>>people refused to move from under his advancing horse.  To his credit, the
>>senior officer called him back into line.  The crowd was pushed apart long
>>enough for a vehicle or two to get through, but it was clear to the police
>>that they could not hold the situation, and they retreated.
>>
>>* a car attempting to approach the same entrance was stopped by someone
>>standing in front of it.  Others then joined in and surrounded the car.  The
>>passenger was recognised as Richard Court.  I remained at this scene for
>>about 20 minutes while people shouted, chanted, and daubed the car with
>>soggy placards and leaflets.  Tyres were let down, and I think one of them
>>might have been slashed, from the sudden way the car dropped.  Later, on TV,
>>I saw that the police had eventually, and forcefully, broken up the crowd to
>>"free" Richard Court.  At any time while I was there, Court could have left
>>the car with little more to fear than a bit of booing and some chanting.
>>There was no air of threat or personal violence.  At any time, also, the
>>police could easily have approached the car in sufficient numbers to escort
>>him, without mounting a baton charge.  The crowd was loose, open and freely
>>moving.  On television, the "Court" incident was described as the worst
>>incidence of violence.  To support this spin, footage was shown of some
>>people drumming on the bonnet of the car (Ooooh, scarey!) and one man
>>standing on the roof of the car.  That was apparently the worst example of
>>violence from the protestor side that could be found, even though the
>>reports all emphasised how violent and out of control the whole thing was.
>>
>>By the way, apparently stopping the car of a state premier is
>>"UnAustralian"!  Have a look at the tandberg cartoon in today's age to see a
>>good spin on this comment.
>>
>>The most balanced report I saw last night was actually the BBC world news on
>>cable tv, which actually mentioned that there seemed to be some violent
>>clashes provoked by police action.
>>
>>Today, I woke to news reports that the blockade had been broken forcefully
>>and early to get the delegates busses in to the meeting.  Nevertheless, the
>>protest action continues, and the trade union rally from trades hall in
>>carlton, via the Nike store in the city, to join the s11 protest, was
>>strongly attended, with banners representing most of the major unions, and
>>lots of smaller ones.  Several banners represented women workers, including
>>the WEL Vic Branch banner and one for the World March for Women.  There were
>>some excellent speakers, illustrating the violence that international
>>companies are doing to national economies and the the working conditions of
>>Australian workers.
>>
>>One speaker, from Non-Ferrall (a scrap metal company) reported that when
>>workers there had taken a one day strike in protest at some of the
>>operations of their factory being transferred to China, they were
>>immediately "locked out" by the employer for SIX MONTHS!
>>
>>ACTU President Sharan Burrow reported on her trip inside the WEF forum,
>>where she had addressed the delegates on the need for fair trade and
>>international labour standards.  She said se had received a fairly stony
>>reception!
>>
>>Again, I'm sure tonight's media will be full of the dawn raid, when the
>>protestors would be those who had been up all night in the rain and wind, no
>>doubt looking photogenic, and the police again attacked without warning.
>>This time they had motorbikes and riot shields as well as horses and batons.
>>One woman I heard interviewed earlier today explained that she had heard
>>people asking for an opportunity to get out before the charge began, but
>>with no success.  She herself had had her head and neck stood on in the
>>ensuing melee.
>>
>>But what I have seen for most of the day is another day of strong but
>>peaceful protest, with issues being raised clearly and loudly by speakers,
>>banners, street theatre, leaflets.  Will any of those issues make it on to
>>the evening news?  Somehow, I suspect that the importance of a bit of
>>manufactured violence will steal the screen.
>>
>>For those whose sisters, daughters, sons, relatives are there, don't worry.
>>People are being sensible.  There is lots of solidarity and support to
>>spare.  And there are many, many, many, many more people there than you'll
>>see in the brief snatches of "violence" on TV tonight, all going about a
>>peaceful protest.
>>
>>Linda Gale
>>
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>Helen Yeates
>Deputy Head
>School of Media and Journalism
>Deputy Director,
>Centre for Media Policy and Practice,
>School of Media and Journalism
>Queensland University of Technology
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>Australia
>
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