Brisbane G20: Police use diplomacy to keep the peace Free Hugs campaigners raising awareness for mental health found just how approachable G20 police are, giving the police horses their free hugs. Police take a break from their serious duties of guarding the Marriott Hotel where US President Barack Obama stayed, to take a group photo. Pic: Liam Kidston. A protester tries to get the attention of G20 police during a march to Musgrave Park, but is ignored. G20 police smile and wave as they stroll past South Bank. IT'S the secret weapon that helped police keep the peace at G20 - and ensured Brisbane 2014 will be remembered for all the right reasons on the world stage. Queensland police employed a diplomatic strategy that would do world leaders proud to ensure no repeat of the explosive protests that marred past G20 summits. Never mind the diplomatic corps - Brisbane had the diplomatic cops. Instead of being manhandled, dragged away and thrown in paddy wagons, protesters were handled with kid gloves. Teams of specialist police negotiators formed the front line at protests around the city. Arrests were an absolute last resort. When a pro-Russian demonstrator covered his face with a mask at South Bank on Saturday, police did not move straight in to confront him. Specialist negotiators first talked to protest leaders, including a large Cossack in army fatigues, and told them the mask was "a problem." The man was politely asked to remove his mask, questioned, searched and then allowed to rejoin his comrades who were waving photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pro-Putin protesters were also kept away from anti-Russian demonstrators on the side of the river. When a group of climate change "guardian angels" staged a sit-in metres from Tony Abbott's hotel at South Bank, blocking delegates" access to the G20 restricted zone, the negotiators moved in. Demanding to speak to the PM, the protesters refused to budge for hours. They were surrounded by a wall of police but there was not a single arrest. The protest ended after the negotiators arranged for two vehicles to take the weary climate guardians to Musgrave Park. Several protesters were seen shaking hands with police, while officers also hand-delivered free bottles of water to demonstrators who had spent hours in the sun. The effort even earned praise from the head of the US Secret Service. "The head of the Secret Service was personally very, very complimentary of how things have gone," Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said. Mr Stewart thanked police, volunteers and the community for their patience during the summit. There have been some issues we have had to deal with but all of the contingencies we put in place months ago have really benefited our response right across the board. Lawyers have praised the G20 policing approach and hope it might continue when the city returns to normal. There were enough high-profile solicitors on standby across the long weekend to deal with potentially hundreds in cells but few were needed due to the low number of ­arrests. A mandate from police brass to work with protesters meant the specialist negotiators defused many of the situations and people taken in for questioning were mostly released without the need for legal advice. In total almost 30 people were excluded and 14 arrested during the G20 weekend, with police saying the city has left a "legacy" of how to secure a world stage event. "The enduring legacy of Brisbane will not be anything about the security operation - it won't be burning police cars and damage, it will be all about the positive aspects," Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said. Around 4000 police will be leaving the city on Monday, with the last of the internationally protected leaders leaving the city around midday. Deputy Commissioner Barnett said the high volume of police was not overkill, with the G20 a high value terrorist threat. But now the city will return to normal with many fences taken down overnight.