Adelaide lock-down

Emma Murphy, Adelaide

The Rice/Rumsfeld Reception Committee (RRRC) has received, from various sources, reliable information that US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be in Adelaide on November 16-18.

This information follows several months of conflicting media reports about a possible visit to Adelaide by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, for the inaugural meeting of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. Rumsfeld is believed to be attending the US-Australia Ministerial Talks, taking place in Australia this year.

In the context of new "anti-terror" laws and supposed terrorist threats to Australia, the information released will be very limited. The foreign affairs department has not made any public announcements, but confirms that the ministerial talks will be taking place before the end of the year.

Various sources corroborate the probability of these talks taking place at the Adelaide Convention Centre and Town Hall. A number of locations, including the Adelaide Industrial Court building (in the Riverside Centre), are planning to be in "security lock-down" mode between November 16 and 18, and the Hyatt Hotel will be receiving a "high-profile guest".

In any event, the RRRC is organising a "Stop the war on the environment and the environment of war" rally on November 17. The committee will meet on November 7 to discuss plans in light of this new information.

The committee's original statement urged activists around the country to come to Adelaide for a mass, peaceful protest should Rumsfeld and/or Rice make an appearance. To be kept informed of the protest plans, or to receive regular updates as we find out more, email or subscribe to .

From Green Left Weekly, November 9, 2005.

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From GLW issue 648