Protest disrupts state dinner

By Tony Wall

The Government buckled to the will of China last night and got the police to forcibly remove a group of Free Tibet protesters from outside a hotel hosting a state banquet for President Jiang Zemin.

In a major diplomatic incident, Mr Jiang kept hundreds of guests at a Christchurch hotel waiting 90 minutes because he refused to drive past the protesters.

The Government - anxious not to offend the leader of the world's most populous nation - arranged for a squad of ready-response police to move the 80 or so colourful and noisy demonstrators out of sight.

Minutes later Mr Jiang arrived at the Hotel Grand Chancellor - where assembled guests were left to drink wine while they waited to be fed - and apologised for the delay. "It's not my fault," he said in broken English.

Journalists earlier watched as about 30 police jumped over plastic barricades, behind which the protesters had stood in orderly fashion for more than an hour.

The political editor of the New Zealand Herald, John Armstrong, said: "They started removing banners and then linked arms and forcibly pushed the protesters back down the street."

Two large buses were parked across the street to block the protesters' view of the presidential motorcade, and three police cars kept their sirens wailing, apparently to block out the noise of the demonstration.

It is understood senior Chinese security officials had earlier raised concern at the noise and closeness of the protesters, prompting negotiations with Foreign Affairs officials over the terms under which Mr Jiang would agree to turn up.

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley - apparently not wanting to offend the President or damage NZ-China relations - came down to the hotel lobby to talk with a senior Chinese official, understood to be a general.

It is understood an option Mrs Shipley considered was having a smaller, private dinner with the President at his hotel, but she did not wish to ruin the banquet as months of planning had gone into it.

The head of the Prime Minister's office, Dr Mark Prebble, came outside at one point and began earnest discussions with senior police, gesturing at the demonstrators.

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Neil Walter, also entered into discussions.

Protesters - waving Tibetan flags, beating drums, blowing whistles and chanting "free Tibet" - had stood vigil about 50m from the entrance to the Hotel Grand Chancellor, in Cashel St.

Mr Jiang was supposed to arrive at 7.30 pm but did not show until almost 9 pm.

The compere for the night asked guests to stay silent for 30 seconds, apparently to determine whether any noise could be heard.

A guest told the Herald the protesters could not be heard.

After Mrs Shipley and Mr Jiang entered the banquet hall, a string quartet played during toasts, another apparent attempt to shut out noise.

The incident follows a similar one in Auckland before the summit between Mr Jiang and President Bill Clinton at Government House on Saturday.

On that occasion, a group of ready-response police formed a "skirmish line" and moved the protesters out of sight just minutes before Mr Jiang's motorcade arrived.

Free Tibet protesters accused the police of following the orders of China and said the same thing had happened wherever Mr Jiang had gone around the world.

A member of the Christchurch branch of Students for a Free Tibet, Gaye Dyson, said: "There was some pretty full-on police violence against peaceful protesters."