Bush Visit Triggers Protests in Australia

The US president’s delegation is made of 700 government officials,
secret security agents, bodyguards, close friends and journalists,
reports Granma newspaper.

Under the watchful eye of the Australian security forces, the
demonstrators gathered near the Main Railway Station chanting slogans
like "Bush go home."

Alex Baindridge, spokesperson for the Stop Bush Coalition, noted that
the huge deployment of police and army troops is part of an
intimidation strategy to frighten people from participating in the
demonstrations against Bush.

"We have organized this rally because we cannot sit on the sidelines
while a warmonger like George Bush comes to this country," said
Bainbridge.

A five-kilometer, 3 meter-high, steel and concrete fence was erected
around the downtown area to try to keep demonstrators away from the
visiting leaders.

During this first day, the security forces arrested a group of
environmentalists belonging to the organization Young People Against
Climate Change that chained themselves by their necks to a coal cargo
ship at the port of Newcastle.

Over the next 15 days in Sydney, the capital city of the state of New
South Wales, the police have special powers to detain any citizen, stop
tourists from taking photos and to ban the transit of people that they
consider to be suspects.