Olympic torch relay
On 24 April 2008 Canberra hosted the Australian leg of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay. Over 550 officers were involved in the event which has attracted strong protest action in other cities around the world. Around 40,000 people attended, with only seven arrests made.
ACT Policing planed for what was initially thought to be a “normal” occasion but turned into a major event after previous legs of the relay in London, Paris and San Francisco were hampered by protests.
The security concerns saw the ACT Government implement the Major Events Security Act 2000 to aid police in securing the event. Declared areas were nominated around the 16km route, allowing police to search people and seize prohibited items.
Members were called on from AFP National’s Canberra-based staff from headquarters, IDG and Aviation. Twenty members from the Sydney office, all well trained in demonstration response, also came to help the relay through our capital.
The torch bearers were accompanied for the entire route by unarmed members of ACT Policing’s elite Specialist Response and Security team, who provided a loose security cordon. Special uniforms were ordered for the security detail to distinguish them from the Chinese flame attendants whilst complying with the AFP’s uniform requirements.
After some initial language barriers between the AFP security escort and the flame attendants, the relay proceeded allowing all 80 torch bearers to complete their duty and enjoy a moment, which for many will last them a lifetime.
The Chief Minister of the ACT, Mr Jon Stanhope, has widely praised the professionalism of ACT Policing to the world's press at a post-event media conference for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay:
"It’s quite obvious today that there is one police force in the world that understands how to run a major event, and that’s the ACT police force."
