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Australia to run 24-hour court for G20 protesters

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IANS Canberra

Australian city of Brisbane will operate a 24-hour, week-long G20 court to deal with expected mass arrests during the summit in November.

The 24/7 court follows threats by protest groups who say property destruction is a legitimate form of protest and that their followers should "smash the G20", Xinhua reported.

The around-the-clock court would begin Nov 10, five days before the start of the two-day summit of world leaders with police expecting violence from protesters.

The court plan follows a model used by Toronto police in Canada in 2010 when more than 1,100 people were arrested.

G20 operational police commander, Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll said authorities wanted offenders in Brisbane "processed and in front of a magistrate as soon as possible".

 

With only three weeks to go, activists have vented online that peaceful protests are ineffective and threatened destruction of property.

Separately, anarchist community group Autonomous Action Radio has created an online poster that depicts hooded and masked protesters who appear to be holding molotov cocktails, hurling objects and overturning a bin.

"Smash the G20. For decentralized attacks on capital in mid November," reads the poster, which copies a similar image used in the Pittsburgh G20 summit five years ago.

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First Published: Oct 28 2014 | 10:38 AM IST

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