A Peaceful Demostration for APEC 2007
Scuffles between police and protesters broke out after a smaller than predicted number of demonstrators staged a short and peaceful march in central Sydney against the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.
A massive police presence contained the largely good-natured crowd that had included families and children.
Police fears of widespread violence did not eventuate, but there was some trouble.
A police spokesman said five marchers had been arrested and two officers were injured when some trouble flared. One officer was hospitalised with unspecified head injuries. No further details were available.
About two hours after the march ended in Hyde Park, police detained another three men.
Two of the men, who were named on an APEC blacklist, were dragged away by officers, placed in a police bus but later freed.
Paddy Gibson - who had helped organise today's march - said he was in cafe in the park when he saw police grab and take away one man.
"When I started complaining and they said 'take him away as well'," he told smh.com.au.
Witnesses saw Mr Gibson grappled to the ground and then escorted from the scene. Both men were released 20 minutes later.
This afternoon lines of police were deployed on Elizabeth Street near the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, where some APEC delegates are staying. About 200 protesters remained in the park.
Organisers estimated that 10,000 people took part in this morning's march. Earlier in the week, police had ominiously predicted 20,000 might show up and warned of the danger of rioting.
Protest organisers pointed to the general good behaviour of the crowd and accused authorities of overreacting and deliberately exaggerating security concerns.
They said police had tried to browbeat demonstrators by putting hundreds of officers on the streets at huge expense to taxpayers.
"It's been an absolutely fantastic rally you should all be congratulated," Alex Bainbridge of the Stop Bush Coalition told the crowd.
As APEC leaders - including US President George Bush and Prime Minister John Howard - met at the Sydney Opera House for their summit, riot squads with shields and were deployed in some parts CBD.
The protesters gathered at Town Hall and moved slowly towards Hyde Park following a police-approved route.
Lines of police funnelled the crowd down Park Street towards the park as helicopters hovered above.
Seven buses, converted into oversized police paddy wagons, were parked in a line that blocked George Street outside the Queen Victoria Building. The recently acquired NSW Police water cannon was stationed nearby.
There was little trouble among protesters as their march took on an almost festive air.
One woman was seen being led away by officers near the QVB.
In another incident, five policemen grappled one male protester to the ground on Park Street. The man was led away by other officers as surrounding demonstrators chanted: "shame, shame".
One witness later alleged that the man had been throwing objects at some marchers in an bid to provoke trouble.
Police also led away a man who was naked except for a strategically placed sock. Across his bare chest was written: "Hey (Police Commisioner Andrew) Scipione, where's my concealed weapon?"
Many of the protesters carried placards reading: "End the occupation of Iraq", "Save the planet", "Drop Bush, not bombs" and "Put the water cannon to good use. Give Morris Iemma an enema".
Others chanted: "We are peaceful, Bush is not".
Before the rally, NSW Police Minister David Campbell said people would be free to use their democratic right to protest but officers also had a responsibility to ensure the safety of international visitors and the public.
Mr Campbell told ABC Radio organisers of the Stop Bush Coalition demonstration faced a challenge to keep the protest peaceful and not allow other groups to cause trouble.
"Of course the concern is there are other people from other organisations such as Mutiny, another group called AC/DC and a group called Resistance, who said they would come to Sydney intent on violence," Mr Campbell.
"There is concern that they might just join that demonstration and then try break out of it in some way."
The commander of the Public Order and Riot Squad , Chief Superintendent Stephen Cullen, said he feared anarchist groups would infiltrate the protest and whip it into a violent mob.
But Mr Bainbridge said police predictions of violence had been "propaganda".
"They're trying to use the talk about violence to disguise the real issues we're raising at the protest rally," he said.