It took just a few minutes for a satirical skit by comedians to pierce the $250 million Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting security coccoon in Sydney on Thursday. With three black cars, a couple of motorbikes and men in black running alongside, the motorcade breezed through two police security checkpoints arriving outside the Intercontinental Hotel where US President George Bush is staying.
The Chaser Fake APEC Security ID
The Chaser Motorcade
Fake Osama Bin Laden near Bush's hotel
The security faux pas was only detected when the motorcade turned around and an Osama Bin Laden look-a-like figure climbed out of the limousine, drawing immediate police attention. Eleven people - the comedians and their support crew - were frisked, arrested, detained and charged.
Senior police were not amused at the prank. The comedians, from 'The Chaser's War on Everything' broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation television - never envisaged they would succeed in reaching Bush's hotel in their wildest dreams. Security stickers on their cars and their personal security IDs were all fake and were clearly identified as hoax IDs with the words "Chaser's War", "Joke", and "Insecurity", and "It's pretty obvious this isn't a real pass" clearly visible on them.
The pranksters, including Chas Licciardello and the show's executive producer Julian Morrow, were detained arrested and charged and held for a few hours, then released on bail in the early evening, despite police powers under the The APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007 to deny bail to anyone arrested during the APEC meeting. One commentator has suggested the granting of bail may have been politically motivated as many young activists may have savoured the opportunity of being arrested and spending time in detention with their comedian heros.
The pranksters had chosen the Canadian flag to fly on their vehicles - for no other reason except something not to obtrusive or excessive (The USA has a 20 car cavalcade).
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said "I'm angry, I'm very angry that this stunt happened, it was a very dangerous stunt. The reality is ... (they) put security services in a position where they might have had to take an action no-one would want. We have snipers deployed around the city. They weren't there for show, they mean business, that's what they were there for." it was reported in the Daily Telegraph.
On the steps of the Surry Hills Police Centre yesterday afternoon Chaser star Craig Reucassel told radio reporters "I HAVE no comment, other than to say they were the least talented members of the team, and the show will go on."
A Readers poll in the Sydney Morning Herald rated the Chaser APEC stunt with 87% finding it funny and 13% finding it not funny with 26,573 votes at 1.31pm Friday (AEST). Many Sydney siders have been grossly inconvenienced by the excessive security arrangements at APEC and are not amused with the Prime Minister or the meeting.
The prank has highlighted the high farce of spending $250 million on security for APEC while inconveniencing the people of Sydney, while decisions on broadening the neoliberal agenda occur. Some people have wondered why the meeting was not held in Canberra, Australia's purpose built Federal political capital, or even in the tropical paradise high security locations of the Island state of Nauru, or the newly built high security facility on Christmas Island which will be used to house asylum seekers seeking refugee status in Australia.
================================
JOINT STATEMENT FROM ABC TV AND CHASER BROADCASTING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 10.27PM
The Chaser team had no intention of entering the APEC restricted zone.
Prior to being detained the Chaser team had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone.
The motorcade proceeded down Macquarie St with the permission of Police.
When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around.
The Police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama Bin Laden.
The members of the Chaser team were wearing the mock ‘insecurity passes’, which expressly stated that it was a joke.
===========================
Sources included:
* Daily Telegraph, Sep 7, 2007 - Top cop livid over Chaser APEC stunt
* Sydney Morning Herald Sep 7, 2007 - Readers Poll
* Youtube videos of the show and stunt:
o 2007 Sydney APEC The Chaser's War On Everything 5 September
o 2007 APEC The Chaser Prank George W Bush Hotel Report 1
o 2007 APEC The Chaser Prank George W Bush Hotel Report 2
Repost from:
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au
Senior police were not amused at the prank. The comedians, from 'The Chaser's War on Everything' broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation television - never envisaged they would succeed in reaching Bush's hotel in their wildest dreams. Security stickers on their cars and their personal security IDs were all fake and were clearly identified as hoax IDs with the words "Chaser's War", "Joke", and "Insecurity", and "It's pretty obvious this isn't a real pass" clearly visible on them.
The pranksters, including Chas Licciardello and the show's executive producer Julian Morrow, were detained arrested and charged and held for a few hours, then released on bail in the early evening, despite police powers under the The APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007 to deny bail to anyone arrested during the APEC meeting. One commentator has suggested the granting of bail may have been politically motivated as many young activists may have savoured the opportunity of being arrested and spending time in detention with their comedian heros.
The pranksters had chosen the Canadian flag to fly on their vehicles - for no other reason except something not to obtrusive or excessive (The USA has a 20 car cavalcade).
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said "I'm angry, I'm very angry that this stunt happened, it was a very dangerous stunt. The reality is ... (they) put security services in a position where they might have had to take an action no-one would want. We have snipers deployed around the city. They weren't there for show, they mean business, that's what they were there for." it was reported in the Daily Telegraph.
On the steps of the Surry Hills Police Centre yesterday afternoon Chaser star Craig Reucassel told radio reporters "I HAVE no comment, other than to say they were the least talented members of the team, and the show will go on."
A Readers poll in the Sydney Morning Herald rated the Chaser APEC stunt with 87% finding it funny and 13% finding it not funny with 26,573 votes at 1.31pm Friday (AEST). Many Sydney siders have been grossly inconvenienced by the excessive security arrangements at APEC and are not amused with the Prime Minister or the meeting.
The prank has highlighted the high farce of spending $250 million on security for APEC while inconveniencing the people of Sydney, while decisions on broadening the neoliberal agenda occur. Some people have wondered why the meeting was not held in Canberra, Australia's purpose built Federal political capital, or even in the tropical paradise high security locations of the Island state of Nauru, or the newly built high security facility on Christmas Island which will be used to house asylum seekers seeking refugee status in Australia.
================================
JOINT STATEMENT FROM ABC TV AND CHASER BROADCASTING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 10.27PM
The Chaser team had no intention of entering the APEC restricted zone.
Prior to being detained the Chaser team had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone.
The motorcade proceeded down Macquarie St with the permission of Police.
When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around.
The Police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama Bin Laden.
The members of the Chaser team were wearing the mock ‘insecurity passes’, which expressly stated that it was a joke.
===========================
Sources included:
* Daily Telegraph, Sep 7, 2007 - Top cop livid over Chaser APEC stunt
* Sydney Morning Herald Sep 7, 2007 - Readers Poll
* Youtube videos of the show and stunt:
o 2007 Sydney APEC The Chaser's War On Everything 5 September
o 2007 APEC The Chaser Prank George W Bush Hotel Report 1
o 2007 APEC The Chaser Prank George W Bush Hotel Report 2
Repost from:
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au
Comments
Hide the following comment
Join a petition
07.09.2007 10:19
We've teamed up with Australian allies GetUp to create spectacles in Sydney, the climate-endangered Great Barrier Reef and around the world—heading off an "Axis of Global Warming" through a media firestorm, and sending our petition to key leaders. Can you help us break the half-million barrier this weekend? You've already signed the petition, but you can help by forwarding this email to five more friends to ask them to add their voices:
Over 400,000 people have already signed, and on Friday we're launching a massive 144-square metre floating canvas "target" at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach where it will be taken out to sea by surfers. Next stop, Saturday, swimmers will float this banner over the Great Barrier Reef -- which current predictions suggest will be killed off by climate change before 2030. Thousands of people from every continent have joined in by uploading climate target pictures of their own.
George Bush of the US and Australia's John Howard are seeking to derail our efforts for a new global climate deal, and to convert the waverers. But both are lagging behind their publics, with elections expected soon. We need to reinforce the efforts of leaders like New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark, whose chief of staff has confirmed to Avaaz she will be working for binding targets at APEC. Let's win over the undecided countries, and add hundreds of thousands more voices round the world: only binding targets can prevent a climate disaster.
The APEC summit isn't just a talk-shop. It's the kick-off to a string of top-level meetings in the coming months, all leading up to a landmark conference in Bali, Indonesia which will begin to write the next Kyoto Protocol. What happens in Australia could set the direction, for good or bad. But thanks to the worldwide movement that has been growing all year--from the G8 to Live Earth--we now have a real chance to shape the outcome.
Scientists agree, now is humanity's window of opportunity to stop a climate catastrophe. The world can't afford to miss this chance -- so please, spread the word today.
With hope,
Ben, Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Galit, Paul, and the Avaaz team
PS: Here are some links for more information on the issue of climate change at APEC, as well as the Summit's implications for the rest of the world:
___________________________________
Avaaz.org is staffed by a global team of campaigners operating on 3 continents. We have administrative offices in London, New York, and Rio de Janeiro. Please direct mail to our NY office at 260 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10001 U.S.A.
Avaaz
Homepage:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/apec_petition/i.php