CANBERRA March 5 (Reuters)
Protesters who accused Australian police of us ing violent tactics at a World Economic Forum meeting have received a A$700,000 ($546,000) payment to end legal claims, prompting warnings the money set a bad example.

Opposition lawmakers said the payments, from the Victoria state government, meant the protesters had been rewarded for offences such as pouring urine on police and hurling missiles at their lines, including nails, bolts and ball-bearings. "You can beat up on police in Victoria and get money for it down the track, " the state's conservative opposition leader Ted Baillieu said. A group of 47 demonstrators had sued the government of Victoria and 953 pol ice officers placed on crowd control during the riot-hit World Economic Forum at Melbourne's Crown casino in September 2000.
The group, mostly members of the S11 anti-globalisation movement, claimed t hey suffered shock, anxiety and a range of injuries including wrist and back fractures, when police forced them to clear a path for forum attendees. But after government legal bills mounted to more than A$600,000, state Prem ier Steve Bracks approved a secret payment to end the case after four years of argument.
The powerful Victorian police union questioned whether the payment set a precedent and exposed the government to more claims in the wake of protests at the G-20 meeting of meeting of finance ministers and reserve bank governors last November. The G-20 gathering also resulted in street confrontations between police and protesters, who damaged a police riot squad truck during a day of scuffles. Police in neighbouring New South Wales state are also braced for September demonstrations during an Asia-Pacific summit which will draw 21 world leade rs including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao. Victorian Police Association secretary Paul Mullett told The Australian newspaper he wanted "an end point of legislative reform" to make it illegal to take to the streets.
Premier Bracks said the payment set no precedent and was made at the insist ence of private insurers spooked by mounting bills. "The private insurer gave advice to Victoria Police that they wanted to set tle legal costs," Bracks said. The money, Bracks said, would be distributed amongst the demonstrators and their law firm, and some demonstrators said after legal bills they expected only a token payment. "I don't think anybody is going to be adequately compensated for the suffer ing that they have been through," litigant and well-known Australian comedian R od Quantock told Australian television.

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