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Clowning as a protest tactic

CLOWN BOBO | 25.08.2005 16:07 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | Social Struggles | World

It is understood from reliable sources, however, that police led protest organisers up the garden path by suggesting that there would be no problems with protesting at the Opera House, only for the police to change their minds at the last minute, saying such a protest would be out of the question.

Police led protest organisers up the garden path. Clown!
Police led protest organisers up the garden path. Clown!


Sydney: Australian police will call in reinforcements to help guard next week's Forbes Conference of world business heavyweights which is expected to draw thousands of demonstrators, they said on Tuesday.

In the last few years many protest groups have taken a more comical approach to protests, direct action, and civil disobedience. Some groups even adopt clown costumes and clownish behaviour organisations inject clowning and clownish street theater into protests situations to heighten the effectiveness of their group and other groups, the most recent example being during the G8 protests in Scotland in July of 2005.

Assistant commissioner Terry Collins said the conference, which will gather some 300 captains of industry from international business, would bring with it "significant security implications."

He said: "It would be irresponsible if we did not match these risks with an appropriate level of response.

"Police for this event will not just come from local area commands but from support areas as well."

The conference will be held from August 30 to September 1 at Sydney's iconic harbourside Sydney Opera House.

Among those attending will be Australian War Criminal john hoWARd and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

New South Wales state police said they had been negotiating with protest organisers for more than two weeks about the demonstration planned for when the conference opens next Tuesday.

It is understood from reliable sources, however, that police led protest organisers up the garden path by suggesting that there would be no problems with protesting at the Opera House, only for the police to change their minds at the last minute, saying such a protest would be out of the question.

But protestors will not be allowed onto the Sydney Opera House forecourt, but will be allowed to protest in a lawful manner outside that area, police said.

Related:

Gleneagles: Repression, Resistance and Clowns

All over Scotland, (dis)organisations as varied as the grassroots network dissent! and the largely conservative coalition "make poverty history" protested against the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles. The reasons were as varied as the forms to express disagreement, from marching to blockading, from clowning to filming, from talking to direct action. Although police from all over the UK were busy containing protesters in pens, arresting, searching and holding them under section 60 [Legal Support Group statement], discontent with the G8 agenda was voiced in many significant places and eventually supported by international solidarity.

More:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2005/g8/

Protests planned for Forbes conference

On August 30, at a cocktail party in the Sydney Opera House, Prime Minister John Howard will open the fifth Forbes Global CEO Conference — a corporate scumbag festival of the highest proportions.

More:  http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/632/632p6b.htm

Protests to greet US neo-cons

In late August the Sydney Opera House hosts a crew of corporate spruikers. The neo-conservative lobby machine - Forbes Global - is coming to town.

More:  http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/638/638p10.htm

THOUSANDS of protesters to take over Circular Quay

The protest's organisers have said activists are planning marches, a flotilla near the busy ferry terminal and banner drops from city buildings and Sydney Harbour Bridge. It will conclude with a rally in the Opera House forecourt.

More:  http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=57812&group=webcast

Teachers accused of anti-US bias

The NSW Teachers Federation condemned costello's comments as "absolute nonsense". Its senior vice-president, Angelo Gavrielatos, said: "The constant denegration of teachers isn't good for the country."

More:  http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/08/94930.php

Opera House Forecourt Demonstration

30a protesters took their message to the Opera House Forecourt for the media and police today at 2pm. (article 1)

A plainclothes police spokesman was present, also a uniformed officer. The spokesman joked with the protesters about the lack of information from Assistant Commissioner Waites.

More:  http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=57918&group=webcast

Taking 30A To The Police.

30A protesters hold media conference outside Surry Hills Police Station and request a meeting with police. (article 1)

More:  http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=57910&group=webcast

NSW Police publicity machine gearing up for Forbes protest

The media machine is gearing up already

Media students and Cop Watchers will be interested in how NSW Police have started feeding the media with stories in prepartation for the Forbes protest.

A NSW police press release dated 23 August 2005 stated that 'negotiations between NSW Police and protest organisers have been in place for more than two weeks' as a way of showing how cooperative the police have been.

More:  http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=57924&group=webcast

Community Forum on Law Enforcement Violence

This breakfast forum will include a spiritual dedication, culture presentation, film screening of “Sooner or Later, Somebody’s Gonna Fight Back*,” and panel discussion with family members of victims and survivors of law enforcement violence, law experts, and community organizers. Panel participants include: Jerry Thomas, father of Jenard Thomas; Malcolm Suber, veteran revolutionary fighter against police terror; and Ernest Jones, civil rights & criminal defense attorney.

More:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/318569.html












CLOWN BOBO
- e-mail: gkable@hotmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/publik16/news3

Comments

Display the following 8 comments

  1. Suspicious — Paranoia Is Healthy In Such A Time
  2. seriously — Paranoia is never healthy ever
  3. Pink — Giggling Is Healthy In Such A time
  4. Clowning around — red letter
  5. The Middle Class War — Pete the Anarchist
  6. organised chaos — seriously funny
  7. pete's fake! — some stupid fool
  8. Circa are certainly an absolute joke — groucho
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