Day One of the World Economic Forum - Melbourne. (September 11th) THE PEOPLE UNITED DISRUPT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
The people won a significant victory over corporate power in Melbourne today, disrupting a meeting of the World Economic Forum and preventing over one third of the delegates from getting into the venue.
A powerful coalition of political and community organisations, trade unions and student, peace, women's and environmental groups surrounded the Crown Casino where the WEF meeting was held.
It was a massive display of people power, with between 20,000 and 30,000 demonstrators united in their determination to fight for the rights of all to food, justice, sustainable development and democracy and against human and environmental exploitation and destruction.
The Casino was fenced off with large concrete blocks and a nine foot high metal fence. Behind this were lines of police. These measures were in themselves a victory for those opposing corporate greed, exposing how alienated the transnational corporations are from civil society.
Police used batons and horses against peaceful protesters in their efforts to get WEF participants into the meeting. In some cases they were successful; in others the demonstrators managed to hold the line and keep the representatives of the world's 100 most powerful corporations out.
Some small differences in approach did not impede the success of this example of how different groups can work together as a constructive alliance when they have a clear and common objective.
Despite heavy rain, strong winds and low temperatures, there was a festival atmosphere with music, singing, chants, puppets and more to keep people entertained throughout the day as they blockaded each of the many entrances left in the massive police defences around the Casino.
This event represents a flowering of the feeling in Australia that an alternative is possible. It expresses a growing recognition in the community that the power to create a better world lies in our hands.
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Day 2 of the Melbourne World Economic Forum. (September 12th)
Police violence erupts
On Tuesday morning, police on foot and on horseback surrounded a blockade of one gate at the Crown Casino and baton charged and assaulted the protesters. This brutality opened the way for five buses of delegates to the World Economic Forum to get into the Casino. Seven protesters were taken to hospital by ambulance, dozens more had minor injuries and many were sitting around after the police attack shocked and in tears.
"We hold the Victorian State Premier, Steve Bracks, directly responsible for this violence," Communist Party of Australia President Dr Hannah Middleton said this morning.
Bracks' public statement yesterday that the police were not acting forcefully enough to ensure that the WEF could go ahead was the green light for today's police brutality. Mr Bracks is reported to have been one of the people in the buses taken so savagely into the Casino this morning.
The appalling scene this morning was in stark contrast to another gate where negotiations between the trade unions and the blockaders resulted in workers being allowed into or out of the Casino with no problems whatsoever.
"The people outside the Crown Casino have a right and duty to protest against the robber barons meeting inside who ravage our communities and our environment for profit," Dr Middleton said.
"We are appalled at the position taken by a Labor Premier who rejects our right to protest and condemns alleged protester violence but does not condemn the violence inflicted on the world by corporate greed.
"It makes it clear that the Labor Party needs to be replaced along with the Liberals. The two party system has to be thrown out so we can get a new government which comes from and speaks for working men and women, Aborigines, migrants, women, and all the other ordinary people in our society."
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