Melbourne Protests Against WTO : Melbourne Indymedia

Hundreds of Melbournians met at the State Libray tonight to protest against the WTO, to demand fair trade, to oppose the Australia- U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the continuing occupation of Iraq.
It was only three years ago, almost to the day when 20,000 Melbournians successfully shut down the World Economic Forum, and that spirit continued at tonights demo.
Speakers included a Venuzealean student leader engaged in the struggle for social justice and neo-liberal policies in his country. After the rally a Mexican fiesta style reclaim the streets was held in Russel st. The Vic police in their usual style decided that this threat to order and control must be tackled moved in with about 10 horses and 50 cops to shut down the a band playing on the street. The party then became focussed around a van playing music. When I left at avbout 8.30PM a standoff was occurring between the protesters and police. Food Not Bombs brought along a good supply of Mexican food to share as well.
Anyway somehow should put up a strouy letting us k now how it finished.
P.S. Has anyone else noticed the media balckout in the Oz corporate press on the WTO. The Age today did not have a single story on the WTO. Anyway, below is two link to internet stories about tonights demo

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7245526%255E1702,00.html

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_51689.asp

Them two links are to the one (AAP) story.

To protect from home made capsicum spray?

Police state
by augustine richards Saturday September 13, 2003 at 10:03 AM

Any arrests? Injuries to protestors? Tear gas used? Batons wielded? Horses trampling over people? You know, like the stuff you see in Mexico, China, Argentina etc etc...Sounds like the Melbourne cops let these imbeciles have their fun for a while then watched them all fuck off home. No one hurt, no one in the slammer, no damage to other people's property. Ah, the majesty of democracy in action.

Sir you are a regular breath of fresh air around here!

Just one small request,since my laptop was liberated by democracy's finest I have lost all my jpgs of the police horse rampages in China,Mexico and Argentina.

Would I be imposing to ask you to post some here that I may copy to disk?

Por favor.

We could spray paint on the masks - that would force them to fly blind or lift them and thats when the caps spray comes in - BUT IT WOULD BE WRONG

Photo of the anti-corporate globalisation / anti-WTO protest in the intersection of Flinders and Swanston sts

Reclaim the Streets ocurred in Russell street between Bourke and Little Bourke sts. The brass band played some great music. The portable sound system pumped out the music.

My kids played hopscotch in the middle of the road!

Thanks to everyone that helped organise the Reclaim the Streets and who came along and danced.

I had a really good time.

PS - To the fuckwits that always say (like the post further up) that we have it good because we can protest and the cops leave us alone (relatively anyway), WHAT IS YOUR POINT? That we should protest or that we shouldn't?

The fact that we have the right to protest is all the more reason to use it and defend it.

URGENT!!!! FOOTAGE OF LAST NIGHTS POLICE VIOLENCE NEEDED FOR TV NEWS
by Cobina Crawford, Saturday September 13, 2003 at 01:24 PM
mscobina@hotmail.com 0422 352 448

ABC are keen to run footage of last nights police violence - particulary the attempt to shut down the generator. Please Call URGENTLY if you can help!!! on my mobile, or call Chris Richards on 0416 351 211. HAS TO BE IN BY 4PM!! Cheers!

ABC are keen to run footage of last nights police violence - particulary the attempt to shut down the generator.
Please Call URGENTLY if you can help!!!
on my mobile, or call Chris Richards on 0416 351 211.
HAS TO BE IN BY 4PM!!
Cheers!

Here's a piece of advice for the ABC: next time you be there and get the footage yourself!

Er, what police violence? Davey makes no mention of violence (on either side). Trying to turn of a generator is now to be regarded as a violent act? Make sure any footage is UNCUT and shows ALL of the actions (on both sides). It may come in handy for the cops as well.

There was certainly no violence that I saw from the protestors side but I did not see what happened with the generator... Far removed from the generator incident was the senseless violence that I did see - pulling of dreadlocks and punching/pushing of innocent people. Wish I had've got some photos but my damn camera wasn't ready!

Let me tell ya mate the pigs are the only ones hurting those horses... Using them as protection for their weak-arse selves - some people think those horses are trained to do 'a job' - they are FORCED to do what they do and the only reason the horses ever react the way they do to protestors (in some situations) is because they are under so much stress already... What are you saying? That the protestors can't hurt the cops so we'll hurt the horses?

It ain't the horses its the riders.

It ain't down to stress its the riders who have control. They are trained drilled and are one entity under the control of the filth on top.

A few years ago coming out of the botanical gardens on a sunday afternoon with the family ther weretwo cars opposite disgorging a chinese family with infants, toddlers, children, mums and dads and granparents. There was also a horse carrying filth.

As it neared the chinese family it "lost" control and the horse started to move towards the family. There was a desparate scene as grown ups picked up toddlers, they were already carrying babies. Panic set in people were banging their head as they tried to escape back into the cars, members of the family were tripping up trying to escape, all from the "out of control" horse.

With the benefit of military training I commanded the rider to control their mount. They did so immediately. There was no horse out of control. The response to my exercise of "power of command" demonstrated that plainly and simply

What there was was direct, vindictive racism being exercised by a member of "Victoria's finest".

A family's happy outing ruined by the filth! The epithet is so fitting.

There was police violence. They first tried to clear the bands, then road from the Bourke street end(this pic.) Pictures were hard to get as it happened quickly and it was dark...( After clearing a path outside Hungry Jacks(;>) they were lined up for a baton charge but decided not to. Then they were going to push through with horses but eventually withdrew them aswell. There was a standoff for quite some time, but we had the numbers and for a short time(this pic), but at least the street was reclaimed for a short while....

In reply to Paragraph 3 of your comment,

the point is to protest in a manner which brings out the true nature/role of the police.