PROTESTERS TAKE OVER COLOMBIAN CONSULATE IN SYDNEY

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A group of Colombians on Wednesday took over the
country's consulate in Sydney to protest against what they called the
"American invasion" of Colombia and a Washington-backed plan to wipe out
the drug trade.

A spokesman for the group of about 25 Colombians residents in Australia
told Reuters they represented an organization calling itself "The
Bolivarian Movement for a Second Independence," and were demanding an end
to U.S. influence over Bogota.

"We are protesting against Plan Colombia, we are protesting against the
Yankee invasion of Latin America, and the American invasion of Colombia,"
the man said, declining to be identified.

Plan Colombia is a multibillion-dollar offensive against Colombia's
thriving cocaine and heroin trade, and is also aimed at making peace with
the country's leftist rebels.

The United States is offering considerable support, mainly in the form of
military training and helicopters.

Australian police said they were "responding to an incident" but gave no
further details. Heavily armed police surrounded the consulate in north
Sydney shortly after the occupation of the offices at 9:30 a.m., according
to local reporters.

An employee of the consulate, who also asked not to be identified, said the
group was not armed and the occupation was peaceful.

"They are not armed at all. Everything is peaceful," she told Reuters after
answering the consulate's telephone.

She added that the protesters were demanding they be allowed to speak with
Colombian President Andres Pastrana and were refusing to allow consulate
employees to leave until they had done so.