September 15, 2007
Some critical comments on the police surveillance deployed the national security state at APEC week in Sydney by Elisabeth Wynhausen in The Australian:
Seen from one of the helicopters hovering overhead, the city surely resembled something out of a Graham Greene novel, with motorcades rolling along deserted streets, snipers on the rooftops and police in their thousands protecting the dignitaries from the very sight of the colourful rabble daring to protest...It looked like a street party transported to Augusto Pinochet's Chile, with demonstrators hemmed in by rows of riot police. There were 3500 police. Behind them were police buses blocking the north side of the street. Behind them was a reserve army of 1500 defence force personnel. Dozens of police had removed their identification badges.
Wynhausen observes that:
politicians and police tried to suppress dissent by waging a psychological war of sorts against a population repeatedly reminded that anyone who ventured into central Sydney to shop, let alone protest, would be doing so while there were snipers on the rooftops in or near sensitive areas.
It appears that the law under the national security state is being used to d not prevent peaceful legitimate protest in a liberal democracy.
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