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Security At Intel eSports Event A Joke, Journalists Bags Siezed ‘Shoey’ Protest

COMMENT: Security at the Intel Extreme Sports eSport event in Sydney has been labelled a “joke” with journalists attending the gaming show, stopped from taking backpacks into the event, yet an individual could easily walk in with an explosive item strapped to their body. Attendees also took it out on the over zealous security staff with a massive shoey protest.

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Attendees to the Intel Masters event, also took aim at the security at the event labelling them “thugs” and “idiots” for their overzealous actions.

Thousands of sport fans who were let in at the event staged a ‘Shoey” protest against security staff that ejected patrons for doing a ‘shoey’.

Security staff who have been described by fans as “rank” because of their lack of humour and in many cases security expertise chose to put bans in place this year to stop fans doing ‘shoeys’, made famous by Australian formula one driver Daniel Ricciardo.

During a semi-final event and as security guards were struggling to evict fans, the crowd got extremly vocal whenever a fan was ejected resulting in a massive protest that saw every member of the crowd raised their shoe in the air.

“We need your help in taking a stand against the oppressive regime of Qudos Arena security,” a post on Reddit said.

Another post said “Arena staff are pulling out innocent shoey protesters left and right, but together we can unite the crowd and send them a message.”

Attendees were not the only people affected by the attitude of security staff who have been left with egg on their face.

Instead of screening the bags of working journalist’s as they do at technology shows such as CES in Las Vegas which has 170,000 attendees, IFA which has over 200,000 attendees or Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where several terrorist attacks have taken place, organisers of the IEM eSports allowed security personnel, to seize the bags of working journalists.

The security staff working at the event appear to lack the skill or have the resources, to search a bag and determine whether the content is a threat.
Once a bag had been seized journalists were told they have to hand carry items needed to cover the event held at the Qudos Bank Arena in Homebush, in their hands with the bags placed in a cloakroom.

The ironic part of the process was that individuals were being let in without a wand scan, even though they could easily be wearing a body vest which is how several terrorists have struck overseas.

At IFA the biggest technology trade show in Europe all attendees must walk through a scanner similar what is used at airports.

At CES in Las Vegas which over 3,000 journalists attend, media bags are hand searched, security tagged, and the journalist let in with all their computer and camera gear.

When this was pointed out to the Australian security staff that overseas and at several big trade shows around the world the bags of journalists were allowed in a senior security executive said, “We don’t care this is Australia”.

When it was pointed out that their security was flawed and that I could easily access the IEM with an explosive device they laughed.

After having my bag seized I walked inside the event. I watched as thousands of people flooded into the event without any form of body searches.

If I was an intent terrorist, all I had to do was go to my car get a jacket and walk into the event with an explosive device on my person.

It could be a Chromebook tucked into the rear of my trousers or large mobile phone battery chargers that can easily be packed into inside pockets.

This is why overseas security personel search a bag instead of siezing it, while also using a wand to scan attendees.

During my 40-year journalist career I have never come across such amateurish security.

I say this from experience having worked in the Middle East and Northern Island as a journalist.

I was also a crime journalist covering terrorism in London when the IRA, the PLO and the Baader Meinhof and the Red Brigade were mounting terrorist attacks.

I was 500 metres away from the World Trade towers in New York when the September 11 attacks went down, and I attend several big trade shows around the world every year.

If authorities in Australia want to be serious about security they have to do a better job than what is being dished out at the IEM eSports event at Homebush.



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