Events

The Australian, Edition 1 WED 02 MAY 2001, Page 005

Free-trade supporter dressed to suit a counter-demonstration - MAY DAY PROTESTS

CANBERRANS say their city is a place where anything can happen but usually doesn't.

Yesterday it did, when a man in a business suit arrived at the M1 anti-globalisation protest waving a free-trade placard. Public servants Duncan Spender, 25, in the suit, and his friend John Humphreys, 22, said they planned to register a new political party called the Liberal Democrats to defend free trade.

`The May Day protesters are misguided and do not represent the youth of Canberra,'' Mr Humphreys said.

His opponents disagreed and tore up his ``Free Trade = Jobs'' placard, forcing both men to continue their protest across the road next to a stilt-walker dressed as Robin Hood.

This small scuffle was the violent peak of the M1 blockade of Mining Industry House on Canberra's main thoroughfare, Northbourne Avenue. The Minerals Council, which represents 30 of the nation's biggest mining companies, said most of its workers had already arrived at 7am when the 150-person demonstration began.

The first speech was given by arts student and protest organiser Ben Halliday, of the International Socialist Organisation. ``I would like to start by thanking the Ngunawal people for allowing us to be here,'' Mr Halliday told the assorted activists before a wide-ranging address.

His audience, mainly comprised of environmentalists, socialists and human rights activists, chanted ``Hey, hey CRA, how many kids did you kill today?'' and ``Export John Howard, not uranium''.

Mr Halliday said despite the Minerals Council evading the blockade, it had been a success.

``They still had to get up early and block off the whole front of the building, and the back, so we still made our point,'' he said.