The Guardian 7 September, 2005
August 30 Forbes demonstration
Denis Doherty
Wherever globalisation rears its ugly head, it is met by fierce and determined resistance from the people!
Several thousand people gathered at Sydney’s Circular Quay on Tuesday, September 30 to protest against a meeting of CEOs of over 500 companies hosted by American billionaire Steve Forbes.
They were meeting to plan policies that will bring them greater profits and inflict greater exploitation and suffering on people around the world.
The demonstrators argued that capitalism and globalisation are about greed and profits at the expense of the poor, the workers and our environment.
At the rally, Warren Smith representing the Maritime Union of Australia reminded the large police presence that they wouldn’t get overtime payment for such events under the new IR legislation.
He said: "Whether we are fighting for peace, for the environment, for unionism, against globalisation, the enemy is always the same, capitalism."
The Opera House was to have been the site of the gala opening dinner. But the glitzy diners fled the people’s protest and guzzled at a "safer" venue.
After the rally the demonstrators marched towards the Opera House. However, the NSW government had put a security fence around it, denying access to protestors and tourists for three days. Some of the fence was torn down and several people were arrested.