Over-heavy police response to APEC protests may damage Howard’s federal election prospects: Leader editorial in The Australian

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Climate change and Iraq would no doubt be a focus of the anticipated protest actions that have seen areas of Sydney shut off from public use, according to a leader editorial in The Australian (3/9/2007, p.17).

Protests a fact of life: “Before the barricades had been erected and the heads of state arrived, environment group Greenpeace had already staged its first act of civil disobedience, painting the hull of a ship on Newcastle Harbour to protest against Australia’s coal expoerts. We recognise that protest actions are a fact of life with gatherings such as APEC despite the great contribution free world trade has made to pulling millions of people in the Third World out of poverty.

Political dimensions: “Nonetheless, aside from photo opportunities with world leaders, the level of violence that takes place at what have been billed as peaceful protests, and how the heavy police presence responds to it, may well be the wildcard for what the APEC summit means politically for Mr Howard with a federal election due at any time,” the editorial concluded.

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Filed under Australian election, Civil rights, Protest, apec