[ A similar article ran even in the local Sydney Morning Herald, which usually never reports local protests of that size :-]
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5951711%255E421,00.html Scores arrested in refugee protest February 07, 2003 BETWEEN 25 and 30 people have been arrested as demonstrators, protesting against the federal government's mandatory detention of asylum seekers, clashed with police in Sydney tonight. About 150 protesters and dozens of police were locked in a rugby-style maul for an hour outside the venue for a Liberal Party fund-raising event in the Cockle Bay nightlife precinct. As protesters chanted "Lock up Ruddock, free the refugees", several guests at the Liberal Party function, at which Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock was to be guest of honour, began a rival chant of "Philip Ruddock, we love you". The protest turned ugly when police moved in along a narrow terrace and attempted to move the protesters back downstairs from the second-floor venue. Tempers became frayed as demonstrators were locked face-to-face with police, whom they initially outnumbered 10-to-one. The protesters then attempted to steamroll the police line backwards, resulting in a number of confrontations and arrests, including at least five women. Many of the demonstrators sported placards that depicted the Immigration Minister branded with a Nazi swastika. As dozens more police arrived, they drove the protesters back along the terrace, often breaking the frontline of the demonstration by hauling someone forward and bundling them down a nearby set of escalators. Hundreds of Friday night revellers were in the area when the protest began at about 6pm. One of the protest organisers, Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), was among those detained by police. As he was waiting to be processed at Surry Hills police station, he told AAP that he believed the protest was a success. "There's nothing to celebrate," he said of the Liberal Party function's theme. "We have made it quite clear to Philip Ruddock what his policies represent." Earlier, another RAC spokesman, Mark Goudkamp, said the minister "has presided over a time of fear and abject misery for thousands of innocent people who have come legally to our country seeking refuge from persecution in their homeland". The protesters had largely retreated from the restaurant complex by 8pm, although police maintained a heavy presence at all entrances and exits. Mr Ruddock, and NSW opposition leader John Brogden, who protesters said would also be attending the function, were yet to arrive at Cockle Bay. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
