Bring Seattle protests to Australia

By Sarah Peart

MELBOURNE — Mass protests are being planned outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held here on September 11 to 13.

The conference is jointly sponsored by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australia Davos Connection (the Australian arm of the WEF).

Participants are being lured to the conference with opportunities to meet "key leaders from business, politics and academia at a time when the eyes of the world will be fixed on Australia", and encouraged to "coordinate their participation in the Summit with the Olympic Games".

Trade unionists, environmentalists, student groups, socialists, human rights activists and community campaigners have initiated the S11 Alliance to organise a protest with the slogan "Stand up for global justice! Stop corporate greed!".

There will also be a counter conference and large music events. Preparatory actions will be held; a protest on March 17 against the Australia Davos Foundation/BCA "Energy" conference will demand: No uranium mining! Cut greenhouse emissions! No private power!

For more information, e-mail <s11_@hotmail.com>, phone Resistance on (03) 9639 8622, or, if you are in Melbourne, come to S11 Alliance meetings, 6.30pm, every Wednesday, Victorian Trades Hall Council building.

From GLW issue 397