The Chaser APEC pranks
Encyclopedia
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
stunts that targeted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit
APEC Australia 2007
APEC Australia 2007 was a series of political meetings held around Australia between the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation during 2007...
(2–9 September 2007), in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. They were coordinated and performed by the Australian satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
group The Chaser
The Chaser
The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedian group, known for their television programmes on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation channel. The group take their name from their production of satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste...
for the television series The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
. The most prominent prank was the breach of an APEC restricted zone in the heart of Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
on 6 September. Julian Morrow
Julian Morrow
Julian Francis Xavier Morrow is an Australian comedian and television producer from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is best known for being a member of the satirical team The Chaser...
directed a fake Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
motorcade, which was allowed through the restricted zone by police and not detected until Chas Licciardello
Chas Licciardello
Chas John Licciardello is a comedian from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
alighted, dressed as Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
Although pranks that involved public locations, figures, and organisations were always a feature of the series, the APEC pranks yielded unprecedented local and international publicity, both positive and negative. Some team members faced charges
Criminal charge
A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:* complaint...
for breaching the APEC zone, but these were dropped because police had allowed their entry into the restricted zone. Other less controversial and less publicised stunts were also shown on The Chaser's War on Everything, with ratings peaking at almost three million Australian viewers for the APEC wrap-up episode.
APEC
APEC Australia 2007 comprised a series of political meetings between representatives of the 21 member governments of the Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
. This culminated in a week-long summit meeting: Leaders Week, 2 to 9 September, when heads of the member governments gathered in Sydney.
The significance of the APEC summit called for stringent and expensive security arrangements. The Protective Security Coordination Centre, of the National Security and Criminal Justice Group from the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Attorney-General's Department (Australia)
The Attorney-General's Department is an Australian Government Department. Its role is to serve the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice...
, oversaw security planning through the APEC 2007 Security Branch, formed expressly for the APEC meetings. In order to secure and monitor the summit, the New South Wales Police Force instituted the APEC Police Security Command. Many public roads in Sydney were closed, as leaders, officials, and personnel travelled in motorcade
Motorcade
A motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade was coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
s around the city centre. Figures released by the state government at a Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
committee hearing show that security measures at APEC cost $
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
170 million.
The Chaser
The Chaser group's founding members were Charles Firth, Dominic KnightDominic Knight
Dominic Sebastian Knight is an Australian comedy writer, best known as a member of the Australian political satire comedy group The Chaser, as well as being an independent writer and former blogger for the Sydney Morning Herald...
, Craig Reucassel
Craig Reucassel
Craig Bruce Reucassel is a television and radio comedian from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
, and Julian Morrow
Julian Morrow
Julian Francis Xavier Morrow is an Australian comedian and television producer from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is best known for being a member of the satirical team The Chaser...
. In 1999 they started The Chaser
The Chaser (newspaper)
The Chaser was a newspaper, published in Australia by political satire group The Chaser from 1999 to 2005.The newspaper, first published on 9 May 1999, was The Chaser team's most famous enterprise. Among other things, they have published Australian Prime Minister John Howard's private, unlisted...
, a fortnight
Fortnight
The fortnight is a unit of time equal to fourteen days, or two weeks. The word derives from the Old English fēowertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"....
ly satirical newspaper. Chas Licciardello
Chas Licciardello
Chas John Licciardello is a comedian from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
, Andrew Hansen
Andrew Hansen
Andrew John Hansen is an Australian comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
, and Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor (comedian)
Christopher Thornton "Chris" Taylor is an Australian comedian, writer and former radio host from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN and The Chaser's War on Everything...
later joined the group; and in 2006, after various ventures in radio, stage, and television, this line-up created The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
, its most successful program, which screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) station ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
. By its second season in 2007, the show had forged a reputation for ambush-style stunts and deliberate controversy.
The group had been warned about the dangers of irresponsible behaviour during the Sydney lockdown for the APEC summit. According to New South Wales Police Minister David Campbell, the police understood that "parody and satire are entertaining and fun", but The Chaser must understand the "seriousness of this matter [APEC] and take caution". A later police statement reiterated that producers of The Chaser's War on Everything had been warned about the "ramifications of stunts during APEC".
| " | We want to get a working majority arrested and we want to get Chas (Licciardello) shot. At this stage I think we're on target. | " |
| —Julian Morrow, speaking before the stunt |
The Chaser was unfazed by police warnings. Before the summit, Julian Morrow commented on radio that "the eyes of the world and the eyes of Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
are on us". Morrow hinted that their challenge was to perform a stunt that would "make Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
feel a little incompetent".
Breach of APEC restricted zone
On 6 September 2007, eight members of the team (including five runners dressed as bodyguards) and three hired chauffeurs manned a fake Canadian motorcade consisting of two motorcycles, two black four-wheel drive vehicles, and a black sedan. The group—including Chas Licciardello dressed as Osama bin Laden, and Julian Morrow—drove the motorcade through the Sydney central business district and breached the APEC security zone. The premise of the stunt was that bin Laden should have been invited to the summit as a world leader, to discuss the War on TerrorWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, with another motive being to test the event's security. The stunt was approved by ABC lawyers under the assumption that the motorcade would be stopped at the first security checkpoint and denied entry.
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
. Taylor later said that there was "no particular reason we chose Canada, 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". There were many deliberate indications that the motorcade was not genuine, particularly on the fake credentials used by the team; members' security passes were printed with JOKE, Insecurity, and It's pretty obvious this isn't a real pass all clearly visible, while the APEC 2007 Official Vehicle stickers included both the name of the series and the text This dude likes trees and poetry and certain types of carnivorous plants excite him. In addition, some of the runners were holding camcorders
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
and one of the motorcyclists was wearing jeans, both highly unusual for an official motorcade.
Time in Australia
Australia uses Standard time, i.e: the same well defined time for a region. The proper names of Australia's time zones are Australian Western Standard Time , Australian Central Standard Time , and Australian Eastern Standard Time...
), the motorcade began its journey towards the "ring of steel", a fenced area at the intersection of Bent and Macquarie
Macquarie Street, Sydney
Macquarie Street is the easternmost street of Sydney's central business district. Macquarie Street extends from Hyde Park at its southern end to the Sydney Opera House at its north.-Description:...
Streets. The vehicles stopped for a red light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
and the police became aware of the motorcade's presence, but waved them towards the checkpoint. The convoy travelled through the first checkpoint without inspection and proceeded north to a second security checkpoint in the prohibited "red zone", just before Bridge Street. Both motorcyclists had by now separated from the motorcade, which was waved through the second checkpoint by police officers. It travelled further into the restricted area before stopping outside the InterContinental
InterContinental
InterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury hotels, founded by Pan American World Airways, under Juan Trippe, and now owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. The chain operates over 200 hotels and resorts in approximately 75 nations.-History:...
Hotel, where US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was staying.
Morrow ordered the motorcade to turn around at the Bridge Street intersection because he realised that they had proceeded further than expected, and because the police officers were not going to stop them. After partially turning the motorcade, Licciardello alighted onto the street and complained, in character as bin Laden, about not being invited to the APEC Summit. At this point, the police requested Morrow's identity. After inspecting his fake pass, officers realised that Morrow was from The Chaser and took all eleven members of the motorcade into custody. Surprisingly, as pointed out by the team on their television show, the officers initially ignored Licciardello (Osama Bin Laden) and only arrested Morrow.
The arrested cast and crew were immediately taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where they were questioned and charged with entering a prohibited area under the APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007. All were released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
to appear in court on 4 October 2007. Under the new legislation, the crew members would each face a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment if they were convicted or up to two years if they were in possession of a "prohibited item".
Aftermath
Following the breach of the APEC restricted area, the actions of The Chaser became the subject of intense debate among sections of the media, senior police officers, and government ministers.Public response
Despite strong condemnation from some officials, the stunt was mostly well received by the public. A Sydney correspondent for the British Broadcasting CorporationBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that the Chaser team had become "folk heroes" after the prank, while 87% of the 28,451 respondents to a Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
internet poll found the stunt "funny".
However, the ABC received more than 250 complaints, outweighing the 177 positive submissions. A spokesperson for the national broadcaster said that the results were misleading because people who enjoyed the show typically do not make comments. Around the country, around 80% of callers to talkback radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
were supportive; and one third of all calls regarding APEC mentioned the stunt.
Political reactions
There were many critics among politicians and officials. Representatives of the police force in Sydney were among the most severe, and New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew ScipioneAndrew Scipione
Andrew Phillip Scipione APM is the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force in Australia, succeeding Ken Moroney on 31 August 2007.-Personal:...
, the head of APEC's lead security agency, was angered because the comedians could have been shot by police sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s, who were "clearly ... there because they mean business. They're not there for show." In response, Licciardello expressed his faith in the snipers' professional ability: "They are highly trained, competent people and they're not going to shoot people if they're in an Osama bin Laden costume if they clearly don't pose a threat".
Many politicians, mostly from the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government of New South Wales, reacted to the security breach with concern and unease. Police Minister David Andrew Campbell
David Andrew Campbell
David Andrew Campbell , a former Australian politician, was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Keira between 1999 and 2011. A former Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Campbell was Minister for Transport in the NSW Government from 8 September 2008 until his resignation on 20 May 2010...
expressed disappointment and concern over the stunt, arguing that there were "21 world leaders arriving in the city at the one time and it needs to be taken seriously". Then New South Wales Premier
Premiers of New South Wales
The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
said that while he was a fan of the show, those involved would have to face the full force of the law. The then Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, also from the Labor Party, voiced similar concerns, saying that "I'm a fan of The Chaser ... but I think these guys have crossed the line."
Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
, the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
in Australia's Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government, was amused when asked to comment on the incident. He said the arrests proved that the security system had functioned properly, adding that "whatever you think of the humour of The Chaser ... they were clearly not going to harm anybody in a physical way". The incident also generated debate during Question Time
Question Time
Question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers , which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be cancelled in exceptional circumstances...
in the Senate.
International recognition
The APEC security breach captured international attention and acclaim. A local newspaper in Canada saw the humorous side, despite the pranksters posing as Canadian officials. In the United States media reviews were mixed. Newsreaders from American networks such as the Fox News ChannelFox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and CBS Broadcasting
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
either "raised their eyebrows" or "had smiles on their faces over the stunt". After the high ratings for the episode and international recognition derived from the stunt, the program began screening in countries such as Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, South Korea, and New Zealand; and other countries, especially in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, began negotiating with the ABC.
The stunt was named the Best Television Moment at the 2008 MTV Australia Awards. Australian scholar Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy is an Australian writer and scholar best known for his work in deconstruction.-Career:Niall Lucy is a professor in the School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts at Curtin University, and a former Head of the School of Arts at Murdoch University...
analyses the prank's political significance as an important act of deconstruction in his book Pomo Oz: Fear and Loathing Downunder.
Current affairs
On 6 September 2007, the tabloid current affairsCurrent affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
program Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
from the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
aired a story headed "Dangerous Fools", specifically devoted to the APEC stunt. Host Anna Coren
Anna Coren
Anna Coren is an Australian journalist who is a reporter and a presenter for CNN International, based in Hong Kong, where she anchors the 1 a.m. CET/7 a.m. HKT and the 6 a.m. CET/12 p.m. HKT editions of World Report...
asserted that The Chaser were wasting taxpayers' money, and will "need more of those funds [in legal costs to the government-funded ABC] to defend their actions in court". Coren claimed that the ABC chiefs were too arrogant to reply to the program's inquiries. A media commentator interviewed in the report condemned the APEC stunt as "over the top", and said he could not see the humour of it. A security expert presented his view, saying that there was a serious risk of injury, not just to the crew members, but to onlookers outside the security zone, even though the breach was discovered by police officers well inside the prohibited area.
Today Tonight
Craig Reucassel
Craig Bruce Reucassel is a television and radio comedian from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
from The Chaser, responding to questions and claiming that the comedians were "hardly sorry" for their actions. Ironically, the report was made by Dave "Sluggo" Richardson, notorious for his hoax story "In Barcelona Tonight"; but Richardson, unlike The Chaser crew, had not gone through roadblocks in his stunt.
The rival Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's current affairs program A Current Affair also aired a report. A Nine cameraman had seen the stunt unfold, and managed to capture it on tape. The report revolved around the incompetence of the police and security personnel, in contrast to Today Tonight's criticism of The Chaser's actions, and spoke of the group executing "their grandest gag yet", bringing together "the world's most powerful man and the world's most wanted, in the same place, at the same time", referring to US president Bush and terrorist bin Laden.
Legal action
After their arrest and questioning by police, all eleven participants in the stunt (eight production members of The Chaser's War on Everything and three hired drivers) were charged with "entering a restricted area without special justification" under the APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007. All eleven were granted bail, on the condition that they refrain from entering any of the APEC secured areas, and ordered to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on 4 October 2007. Those charged were Esteban Alegria, Nathan Earl, Giles Hardie, Lauren Howard, Mark Kordi, Chas Licciardello, Geoffrey Lye, Alexander Morrow, Julian Morrow, Rodrigo Pena, and Benson Simpson. After numerous adjournments, all charges were dropped by the New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on 28 April 2008.It was decided that the police, failing to notice that the presented security badges were fake, had given "tacit" permission for the group to enter the restricted zone. Further, the actions of the police on the scene, who themselves may have been unaware of where, exactly, the legally restricted area began, caused the Chaser team to proceed much further into the heart of the security zone than they had intended to or realised. This meant their breach of the law had happened largely due to an exculpating mistake of fact
Mistake (criminal law)
A mistake of fact may sometimes offer exculpation by allowing a criminal defendant some relief from liability for having broken the law...
on the part of Morrow, who intended to end the stunt before crossing into restricted territory, but who received no explicit indications as to where that territory began − and was indeed waved farther into it by the police. The ABC welcomed this development; Morrow commented: "I think it's just great that justice hasn't been done". The police remained unapologetic.
The DPP argued that it was never the intention of The Chaser to breach security and that they were allowed into the restricted area only because of the mistakes of the police. The laws enacted for the summit meant that entry into the restricted zone needed justification, which could include police permission. The DPP stated that by waving The Chaser through, they had granted permission to be in the restricted zone. A further defence was available: all members charged, except Morrow, could argue that they were present for work-related purposes, and part of their employment was to be with Morrow, who was directing the stunt.
Show ratings
With all the hype and media attention directed at this stunt, the following episode of The Chaser's War on Everything on 12 September 2007, initially intended to be called The Chaser's War on APEC, was the program's highest-rating ever. In Australia there was a total of 2.981 million viewers: 2.245 million viewers in the capital cities, and 736,000 regional viewers. This stunning success made it the most watched ABC1 television program since 2000, and broke the show's own record of 1.491 million viewers in capital cities, set by the preceding episode.The 12 September episode was downloaded one million times from the ABC's website, and in late February 2008 it was nominated for the Rose d'Or
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
international television award for comedy, on behalf of The Chaser's War on Everything. The stunt depicted was nominated for the "TV moment award" at the 2008 MTV Australia Video Music Awards, and Nine Network's show 20 to 1
20 to 1
20 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, sporting scandals. Previously the show was hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...
Pranks and Pranksters ranked it first in its list of "greatest pranks in Australian history".
The Chaser's response
| " | The stunt that went horribly right. | " |
After the successful breach of APEC security, the comedians expressed their bewilderment at the incompetence of the security forces. Morrow and Reucassel went on radio to augment the initial reactions they had aired on the 12 September episode of The Chaser's War on Everything. Morrow pointed out that while they did extensive planning for the stunt, the one thing they "didn't plan for was success"; the participants were confused by the unexpected permission to enter the area, and unsure how to proceed; they clearly sensed danger, but the atmosphere was actually very quiet and subdued.
Licciardello stated that they did not know they had entered the red zone, and "we had the advice of our lawyers ring in our ears; 'Do NOT go into the red zone. You can go into the green zone if they let you, but DO NOT go into the red zone.' " He said that they "were absolutely sure we would never get past the first checkpoint. It was panic stations when we realised", adding that it was a "stupid gag that backfired". Morrow said that the purpose of the stunt was "an attempt to satirise in a silly way the very heavy security and the spin surrounding that security, it was a test of the old adage that if you want to get in somewhere the best way is right through the front door. I didn't want the stunt to happen in a way that resulted in people getting arrested. If we've made a mistake and crossed into the green zone, I'm very regretful about that." He said the only reason they impersonated bin Laden was because they needed a joke to get out of the stunt that they always assumed would never have passed security.
Other stunts
In addition to The Chaser's major APEC security breach, the team performed stunts at the APEC Summit that received far less coverage in the media.Pantomime horse at APEC protests
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Chris Taylor (comedian)
Christopher Thornton "Chris" Taylor is an Australian comedian, writer and former radio host from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN and The Chaser's War on Everything...
, mounted on a pantomime horse
Pantomime horse
A pantomime horse is atheatrical representation of a horse or other quadruped by two actors in a single costume who cooperate and synchronize their movements...
, confronted police officers, who were on foot, and asked them if they needed any reinforcements against APEC protesters. When his offer was refused, Taylor took the horse for a stroll anyway, and was met by amused onlookers and media personnel. He was later asked by police officers to remove his clothing for examination, since it resembled a police uniform; but no charges of impersonating police were laid. The reference was to the horse flu outbreak
2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak
An outbreak of equine influenza in Australia was confirmed by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries on 24 August 2007 in Sydney. Also known as "horse flu" and "A1 influenza", the rapid outbreak was of the Influenza A virus strain of subtype H3N8...
, which forced police officers to face APEC protesters on foot. This stunt aired on the 12 September 2007 episode.
Canadian cardboard motorcade
On 7 September 2007, following the security breach on the previous day, Taylor, Reucassel, Dominic Knight
Dominic Knight
Dominic Sebastian Knight is an Australian comedy writer, best known as a member of the Australian political satire comedy group The Chaser, as well as being an independent writer and former blogger for the Sydney Morning Herald...
and their film crew were detained and questioned over a follow-up stunt. This incident involved running near and attempting to enter the APEC protected zone dressed in cardboard cars mounted with Canadian flags, a reference to the flags' earlier use to disguise the successful breach by the real motorcade. Police had no choice but to release all members involved in this stunt, as they were outside the prohibited area. This stunt also aired on the 12 September episode.
Clothing for APEC photo
Shortly before 5 September 2007, Reucassel approached several APEC security personnel and offered a selection of clothing, inspired by the traditional official photograph of all the attending leaders wearing matching outfits. This stunt aired on the 5 September 2007 episode.
Assassination of Hu Jintao
Shortly before 12 September 2007, as part of Chinese President
President of the People's Republic of China
The President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
's visit to Australia, Reucassel went to the Chinese Consulate and asked for them to prepay the bullets he was going to use to assassinate Hu, in reference to China's policy of requiring the family of the condemned prisoner to pay for bullets used in their relative's execution. This stunt aired on the 12 September 2007 episode.
APEC security checks
Shortly before 5 September 2007, Licciardello, who was dressed as a police officer, performed random security checks and procedures on members of the public to demonstrate the glorification of the tough APEC security measures. These procedures included random frisking
Frisking
Frisking is a search of a person's outer clothing wherein a person runs his or her hands along the outer garments to detect any concealed weapons or contraband.-Stop and frisk:...
, taking hair samples, telling tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
riders in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to stand and turn their heads, and erecting secure areas in public toilets and near escalators. When Licciardello was approached by real security officers, he said that all of these measures were "classified". This stunt aired on the 5 September 2007 episode.
Radio prank call
On 10 September 2007, Licciardello rang a talkback radio station
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
pretending to be someone else, and complained about the stunt, claiming that it was stupid and anyone involved at the ABC, including Kerry O'Brien, should be jailed for ten years. This stunt aired on the 12 September 2007 episode, and Licciardello said he wished he had made the call on the evening of the security breach because talkback radio discussion would not have already died down.
RSL attempted entry
Sometime between 6 and 12 September 2007, Licciardello and Morrow tried to enter a Returned and Services League
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
(RSL) building using the same fake passes that had gained them entry to the restricted area. The manager did not let them enter, which was proof, according to the team, that "RSLs are harder to get into than APEC". This stunt aired on the 12 September 2007 episode. However, in the DVD commentary of the episode, The Chaser stated that they were actually let into many RSL buildings with the fake passes. They claimed that acting as if one is meant to be present is usually enough.
Rival fireworks show
On 8 September 2007, Chaser members Taylor and Andrew Hansen
Andrew Hansen
Andrew John Hansen is an Australian comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
launched a competing fireworks display to coincide with the official APEC fireworks display, which was only to be viewed by the APEC officials. The two displays were close to each other, with the official fireworks launched at the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
, while the rival fireworks were fired from Woolwich
Woolwich, New South Wales
Woolwich is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolwich is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill....
. The team lit up a large screen with the text Screw APEC. This stunt aired on the 12 September 2007 episode; and in the DVD commentary on the episode Morrow said the display was hard to orchestrate and not cheap.
Animals at Taronga Zoo
Shortly before 5 September 2007, Reucassel, equipped with suitable costumes, went into Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Officially opened on 7 October 1916, it is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman...
and impersonated real Australian native animals, in reference to the temporary relocation of some animals for private viewing by spouses of APEC leaders. This stunt aired on the 5 September 2007 episode.
Proposed nautical red zone breach
A planned stunt that was never executed was an attempt to breach the nautical red zone. Morrow and Licciardello were to perform it after the motorcade stunt on 6 September 2007; but it never went ahead, since they were detained by police after the surprising success of the earlier stunt. The plan was to breach APEC nautical security in "funny" boats, such as a gondola
Gondola
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
. Licciardello also stated on an episode of 'Rove Live' that there was to be an attempt to breach APEC security "by lilo."