The Chaser APEC pranks

The Chaser APEC pranks were a series of comic stunts that targeted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit (2–9 September 2007), in Sydney, Australia. They were coordinated and performed by the Australian satire group The Chaser for the television series The Chaser's War on Everything. The most prominent prank was the breach of an APEC restricted zone in the heart of Sydney central business district on 6 September. Julian Morrow directed a fake Canadian motorcade, which was allowed through the restricted zone by police and not detected until Chas Licciardello alighted, dressed as Osama bin Laden.

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 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 Australia 2007 comprised a series of political meetings between representatives of the 21 member governments of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. 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, 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 motorcades around the city centre. Figures released by the state government at a Senate committee hearing show that security measures at APEC cost $170 million.

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