University activists and Greenpeace members made up a third of a secret list of 61 people NSW Police considered so dangerous they were banned from public areas near last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.

In the months before the event, the NSW Government passed special legislation so police could create a list of "excludable persons", who were told they were on the list and would be immediately arrested if they entered Martin Place and other public areas around the Opera House during APEC Leaders' Week.

At the time the newly appointed Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, refused to release the names on the list, or the reasons why they were on it. He said: "Our intelligence tells us there is an intent to act violently." The Assistant Commissioner, Dave Owens, said those on the list "present a threat to the safety and security of APEC".

The Herald has obtained the excludable persons list using freedom-of-information laws. While the names have been removed, the reasons for inclusion on the list, including membership of various "issue-motivated groups", have been disclosed.

The descriptions provided in the document - such as group membership, participation in previous protests or police charges - allowed the Herald to locate many of the individuals on the list. Many of these people then identified themselves based on the descriptions provided in the document. Many of those on the list say it was ridiculous they were banned from APEC security areas.