TOPIC: Australia: Victoria's anti-protest laws pass lower house by one vote

Controversial new laws give police powers to disperse protests and arrest people for breaching a move-on order



Controversial new laws giving police unprecedented powers to disperse protests have passed Victoria’s lower house.

The summary offences and sentencing amendment bill passed by one vote on Thursday afternoon, and will now go to the upper house, the Legislative Council, for approval.

The laws will allow police to issue move-on directions, in which a person or group is ordered to leave a particular area or cease an action, on a range of new grounds.

“Impeding lawful access to premises”, “causing others to have a reasonable fear of violence”, and “engaging in behaviour likely to cause damage to property” can all result in a move-on direction under the changes.

The amendments also beef up the penalty for breaching a move-on order, currently a fine totalling $500, to potential arrest.

A spokesman for Victoria’s Coalition government said in a statement the laws were designed to “end unlawful union pickets and protester blockades that threaten to shut down businesses”.

Work on East-West Link, a major road project, was briefly halted in September last year when protesters blockaded the site and clashed with police.

“Every Victorian has the right to protest and express their views. However, when individuals resort to unlawful tactics that threaten the livelihood of law-abiding businesses, employees and their families, they must be held to account,” the Victorian attorney general, Robert Clark, said.

But critics in the legal fraternity said the laws threaten the fundamental democratic right to protest.

“If people believe they’re engaged in non-violent protest, they won’t be able to hold their ground against police,” Fitzroy Legal Service solicitor Meghan Fitzgerald said. “As soon as the move-on direction is issued, on a reasonable suspicion that your conduct, including future conduct, is likely to cause a breach of the peace, then people can be arrested.”

Powers currently available to the police allow protesters to be excluded from a public area for around 24 hours, Fitzgerald said. “Under these amendments, if people return to the protest site, the police can apply for an exclusion order that lasts up to a year,” she said......

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/20/victorian-anti-protest-laws-pass-lower-house

On the face of it the law seems draconian, because it restricts free speech and the right to protest. Unfortunately, Australia has some very militant unions. Further protest groups, for unknown reasons, have started to call in the assistance of militant activists for hire. The protests against underground tunneling in Melbourne is bizarre. The project is designed to ease traffic congestion and make commuting times easier.

People who are involved in targeted projects have identified the same militant activists appearing at major protest event after event. Be that a gas processing plant, major underground tunnel or even in Perth targeted shark culls.

7 people have been killed by great whites off the coast of western Australia over the last 2 -3 years. Several have been bitten in half with the shark returning to eat the remainder. Shark numbers have risen enormously over the last 20 years. Yet targeted catching of sharks has been targeted by militant environmental activists - several having moved on from previous militant protests.

These people don't just protest. They abuse and attack people with the opposing view. They damage property and severely disrupt people going about doing their jib6.

They only have themselves to blame in this regard. They abuse the right to protest and break the law.

They do not peacefully protest

Tens of thousands gather for March in March protest


Demonstrators in the March in March prostests in Melbourne.

It's about asylum seekers. Unions. The environment and animals. The postal service or the ABC. And there's even a bit of dancing.
The March for March protest snaked through Melbourne with tens of thousands demanding action on a mixed bag of issues.
Some danced on Sunday while shouting, "We demand better!" and "Not in my name!" while others held placards that stated: "Abbott, you're a disgrace".
What united them was anger and frustration at everything that's happened since the federal election

"I'm really angry about a number of things," said Jenni James, 59, who helped organise the Melbourne protest with three others.
"They're not listening to us. They're lying to us. And there are a lot of people here who have never been in a protest in their life".
Organisers began planning the protest on social media, which quickly ignited interest among activist and left-leaning groups......

m.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tens-of-thousands-gather-for-march-in-march-protest-20140316-34v1x.html

www.news.com.au/national/thousands-turn-out-around-australia-for-march-in-march-against-federal-governments-policies/story-fncynjr2-1226856233099

It's a very left leaning slant on things in Australia.

We've just had 6 years of far left greens/labor that turned a strong economy running surpluses into one with deficits of $50bn a year and virtually zero debt into a nation with $500bn of debt.

No Country or person can continue to spend way beyond its means to that extent, let alone using borrowed money to do so.

The current government is pretty middle of the road actually.

It's nothing like the US Tea Party.

I really don't understand what those people are protesting about to be honest. The new government has actually been very slow to implement new policies since the election and has focused more so on the financial debacle left to them by the the former libtards.

A nation can't borrow money to fund the arse wiping of every minority interest group going can it?

If people want to 'protest' then everyone should pick something and not pay it, like registration fees for vehicles.

What are they gonna do, lock everyone up.

Actions such as those en mass will never happen though.

I agree with that. Like people in the UK ALL stopping paying their TV licence fees.

Re the activist protest movement there are many who are activists for rent. They operate in much the same way as rabid commie shills on the internet. i.e., I will aggressively attack you because your view differs to mine. My view is right. There is something wrong with you for not agreeing with you. I will abuse and attack you for not agreeing with my view.

"I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to my death your right to say it" - Patrick Henry

Suggestion: If your M.P. is one of those who voted for this law contact him/her. Firmly explain to them that they were hired to represent you, that you are very disappointed with their performace and that their job is a temporary one at best. Make it clear that during the next election not only will you not vote for them, but will actively work for their opponent. Remember, they work for you. There is no reason to be polite.

It was Mel Brooks in the 1974 movie Blazing Saddles who said, "We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs here, gentlemen!"