Comments on: Miranda’s friend arrested during APEC clampdown!

By: James Russell

James Russell — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 13:03:02 +0000

Is it just me, or would John Howard never have gone through the same sort of hassle as Kevin Rudd if he’d been in that situation?

By: Adrian

Adrian — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:56:18 +0000

“However, if he had been from Macquarie Fields, or was a testosterone-addled Lebanese, I don’t think Miranda would have been complaining…”

Exactly! Hypocritical ghettoism…

By: ninglun

ninglun — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 08:47:03 +0000

According to City's homeless will not be disturbed (SMH 10 August):

Police at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit have been ordered to allow the more than 100 homeless people living in the forum's security area to remain undisturbed unless they cause a disruption... The protocol, which was introduced during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, is printed in the police handbook for APEC security operation. The Operation Contego handbook states: "When you encounter a person that is homeless or appears to be homeless, you should leave the person alone unless: - They require assistance - They appear to be distressed or in need of assistance - Their behaviour threatens their safety or the safety and security of people around them - Their behaviour is likely to result in damage to property or the environment" The handbook is required pre-reading for officers assigned to the APEC security detail. The move to protect the rights of the city's homeless has pleased Elisabeth Baraka, the co-ordinator of the Homeless Persons' Legal Service.

The Police Powers NSW Bill specially for APEC mentions "reasonable force". I think the "shoot to kill" powers come from a controversial part of the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act 2005.

By: Denys

Denys — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:41:28 +0000

I bet the homeless weren’t inside the fence though. Someone told me today that the police had a shoot to kill policy. Is this true?

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 06:46:30 +0000

One little-publicised good point about the lockdown, by the way, is that the policy was to leave the street people and the homeless alone. They avoided trucking them out of the city.

Well that’s a much needed piece of heartening info.

By: ninglun

ninglun — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:24:58 +0000

Bruce, depends whether you prefer English (or is that Scottish?) or Mandarin. Kevin knows me as “Ninglun” of course…

Denys: exactly my point. I sympathise with the guy who was arrested, and even with Miranda’s anger — but what happened is remarkably like what she wanted at and after Cronulla!

One little-publicised good point about the lockdown, by the way, is that the policy was to leave the street people and the homeless alone. They avoided trucking them out of the city.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:10:00 +0000

PS. Neil, should I stop calling you “Ninglun” and start calling you “Neil”? Which do you prefer?

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:08:49 +0000

Denys, good call on “normal”. Police states are like mine-fields for the mentally ill, especially those without treatment. I wonder how sympathetic the likes of Miranda would be for them.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:00:49 +0000

Maybe the police thought Rudd was too friendly with The Chaser and was trying to smuggle them in

By: Denys

Denys — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:36:27 +0000

Miranda Devine says:
“Greg is just a nice, normal father-of-three, who plays golf and has a successful accountancy practice in Pitt Street.” What if that person wasn’t a “nice” or “normal” person or a father or a “successful” accountant. As you say Neil, what if the person arrested had been from Macquarie Fields, or was a testosterone-addled Lebanese. Imagine that.

Miranda again:
“He has worked in the city for 20 years and has every right to walk through it unmolested.” Don’t we all.

What I find offensive is our piss weak media who find it hard to ask the tough questions. A commonly asked question by journalists to arriving leaders, “So, what do you think of Australia”. Umm. I haven’t left the airport yet, you twit!

I like the William Le vid too.