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Students warned against APEC protests
NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca says parents should not allow their school-aged children to participate in major APEC protests because they could find themselves in a potentially "dangerous situation".
Mr Della Bosca says major protest groups such as Resistance, Mutiny and the Stop Bush Coalition were actively recruiting students to attend APEC protests early next month.
Other recent major protests in Australia and overseas showed they were often not peaceful events, despite organisers' assurances, he said.
"Experience has taught us that while the intention of students may be to take part in a peaceful protest, there are some people in the community and some activists groups with anti-social intentions," Mr Della Bosca said.
"They have in the past manipulated such protests and put the well-being of young people involved at risk.
"Students have found themselves suddenly in the middle of a dangerous situation or a clash with police for which they were not prepared, did not want, and could not control."
Mr Della Bosca said a major protest was planned for Wednesday, September 5, and this was a school day.
He said students should remain "at school during school hours under the supervision of their teachers and principals where they are safe".
"If students learn their friends or classmates are planning to attend these protests, they should warn them of the dangers involved or discuss the situation with their teachers and principals," Mr Della Bosca said.
He also said he had written to the state's school principals and they would also seek to emphasise to parents the risks posed by the protests.
Stop Bush Coalition spokesman Alex Bainbridge said students had a right to voice opposition and concern over global issues such as the war in Iraq and global warming and, domestically, on industrial relations.
"They might be missing a day's school but really in the scheme of things, that is a very small price to pay when the issues at stake are saving people's lives in Iraq or global warming, like the future of humanity," Mr Bainbridge said.
"I think young people have opinions, they're quite entitled to express them.
"It is a lot of speculation and hype really," he added.
"I think the government has really hyped up the threat of violence at our protest when the real violence is coming from the Howard government."
Posted by: PIMP.
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Posted in: News on September 8, 2007 @ 12:00 AM
Tags: School
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Future Elmo (or other little kid superstar): Voicing your opinion and even havign one is a dangerous thing.
Actually, this is where school achieved a major victory, and I'm very pleased. Instead of banning something, like tag (oh the hilarity), they warn students, giving them an option rather than dictating what they should do.
Yes, however most students listen heartily to waht thier school suggests, since they think it is the best opinion.
Schools sould have no right to dictate what students do outside of the tourture chamber!
They're not truly telling them, though... they are, in their respective opinions, advising against it, but they're not forbidding them to do anything...
there was one AOEC protest in melbourne, i would have gone to it, although i didnt find out about it until the actual day. i saw some people in ramones shirts and i heard that there were anarchists there too.
im bummed out.