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IF ONLY the police had stopped to read the fine print on the "APEC 2007 Official Vehicle" sticker.
"This vehicle belongs to a member of The Chaser's War on Everything. This dude likes trees and poetry and certain types of carnivorous plants excite him."
Two police security checkpoints into the sniper-ridden "ring of steel" later, and it took a comedian in an Osama bin Laden outfit to rouse Sydney's $150 million APEC security monster into action.
The much-vaunted protection for the APEC summit was peeled away with embarrassing ease yesterday by satirists armed with hire cars flying Canadian flags.
Nine men and two women were charged last night with breaching APEC security zones after the fake motorcade sailed past police checkpoints to drive within metres of President George Bush's hotel, the InterContinental. The charges carry a maximum sentence of six months' jail.
Those charged include the show's executive producer, Julian Morrow, and his fellow cast member Chas Licciardello — who donned fake beard and white robes — along with members of their crew and hire car drivers. All were granted bail to appear in court on October 4.
The Chaser's bogus motorcade of two black vans, a hire car, two very unofficial looking motorcycles and jogging security heavies remained undetected until Morrow and Licciardello got out of their car outside Mr Bush's hotel, where police grabbed them.
Chaser team member Chris Taylor said there was "no particular reason" they had chosen Canadian flags. "We just thought they'd be a country who the cops wouldn't scrutinise too closely, and who feasibly would only have three cars in their motorcade as opposed to the 20 or so gas-guzzlers that Bush has brought with him."
Last night, the ABC issued a statement saying: "The Chaser team had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone."
"When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around," the statement said.
"The police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama bin Laden."
It said the comedians were wearing mock "insecurity" passes, which expressly stated they were a joke.
"This vehicle belongs to a member of The Chaser's War on Everything. This dude likes trees and poetry and certain types of carnivorous plants excite him."
Two police security checkpoints into the sniper-ridden "ring of steel" later, and it took a comedian in an Osama bin Laden outfit to rouse Sydney's $150 million APEC security monster into action.
The much-vaunted protection for the APEC summit was peeled away with embarrassing ease yesterday by satirists armed with hire cars flying Canadian flags.
Nine men and two women were charged last night with breaching APEC security zones after the fake motorcade sailed past police checkpoints to drive within metres of President George Bush's hotel, the InterContinental. The charges carry a maximum sentence of six months' jail.
Those charged include the show's executive producer, Julian Morrow, and his fellow cast member Chas Licciardello — who donned fake beard and white robes — along with members of their crew and hire car drivers. All were granted bail to appear in court on October 4.
The Chaser's bogus motorcade of two black vans, a hire car, two very unofficial looking motorcycles and jogging security heavies remained undetected until Morrow and Licciardello got out of their car outside Mr Bush's hotel, where police grabbed them.
Chaser team member Chris Taylor said there was "no particular reason" they had chosen Canadian flags. "We just thought they'd be a country who the cops wouldn't scrutinise too closely, and who feasibly would only have three cars in their motorcade as opposed to the 20 or so gas-guzzlers that Bush has brought with him."
Last night, the ABC issued a statement saying: "The Chaser team had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone."
"When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around," the statement said.
"The police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama bin Laden."
It said the comedians were wearing mock "insecurity" passes, which expressly stated they were a joke.
They spend millions and they still got through.
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