Aborigine protests fizzle in Sydney

Sydney: A march through Sydney by Aboriginal activists fizzled on Friday, dampening police fears that unruly protests would mar one of Australia's proudest moments at the Olympics opening ceremony.

But police were on the look-out for groups of violent anarchists, leftists and others heading to the Olympics after disrupting a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Melbourne.

Just hours before the opening ceremony of the Millennium Games, New South Wales police chief Peter Ryan warned that officers would act "very, very firmly" against such groups.

Aboriginal leaders had planned Friday's march as the centrepiece of their efforts to draw international attention to their grievances.

In the end, fewer than 200 Aborigines and their white supporters turned up, chanting and waving banners reading "Shame, Australian Shame" as they marched through the central business district of Australia's premier city.

Protest leaders were crestfallen at the low turnout, partly the result of infighting among Aboriginal groups.

A human chain protest between Sydney and its airport failed to get off the ground earlier this week.

"Yes, I'm disappointed with the numbers," said Lyall Munro with the Sydney Metropolitan Land Council.

"This country is killing the people, Aborigine people, and it will continue to do so while the world sits by and watches."

A handful of police officers followed the marchers towards the city offices of Prime Minister John Howard.

Reclaiming an island

Aboriginal activists say the Australian government is using the Olympics to whitewash a history of abuse and injustice since white settlers arrived in 1788, evicting native inhabitants from their lands and massacring them by the thousands.

Aborigines make up 2.1 per cent, or around 400,000, of Australia's 19 million population.

In a traditional Aboriginal gesture of reconciliation, police chief Ryan visited a "tent embassy" in Sydney's Victoria Park on Friday and tossed gum tree leaves into a ceremonial bonfire.

He praised Aboriginal leaders for keeping their demonstrations peaceful, but warned that police would not tolerate other activist groups trying to hijack their cause.

"I've pleaded for peace," Ryan told reporters. "As it has turned out we now have, as you can see, a spirit of friendship and cooperation."

"If there is any problem from these alternative groups -- these non-Aboriginal groups, international socialists and others -- we will act extremely firmly against them," Ryan said.

"They will not disrupt these Olympic Games and they will not embarrass the Aboriginal people by pretending to claim they are part of their cause," he said.

"We will not tolerate violence in the streets."

Authorities became alarmed after Sydney Aboriginal leader Charles Perkin warned in April that visitors to the Games would see "burning cars and burning buildings". He has since toned down his rhetoric.

In another protest on Friday, one group of Aborigines "reclaimed" Fort Denison, an island in the middle of Sydney harbour, after landing there in canoes at dawn.

"We're here today to claim Fort Denison back in the name of indigenous sovereignty," protester Trevor Close said.

"We're sending a message to the New South Wales government today that we're serving an eviction notice and we'd like rent paid for the last 206 years."

(Additional reporting by Andrew Gray and Andrew Browne)

(c) Reuters Limited.