Queensland Police have today refused to rule out using VLAD laws against G20 protesters in the event of any incidents. When contacted by Fairfax Media they only started the obvious, that the laws will not be used against “people simply taking part in lawful protests.”Anti-G20 activists are concerned that aggressive police tactics like ‘kettling’ may lead to confrontations, leaving them open to 15 or 25-year mandatory sentences for the relatively minor offence of ‘Affray’.
This has led some activists to take the unusual step of initiating a protester boycott of G20. Generation Alpha has cancelled the largest planned G20 protest, a world record attempt called ‘Nature Strip’, after written legal advice on the VLAD legislation. Spokesperson Ben Pennings said:
“This must be the first time the Guinness Book of Records have been told that organisers are too scared of serious jail time to go ahead. Laws designed for violent criminals shouldn’t be used to scare protesters.”
Generation Alpha is strongly advocating a wider boycott till Queensland Police rule out the political use of the controversial legislation. Ben Pennings said:
“With the threat of VLAD we may have 4000 journalists asking why there is 4000 police and no protesters. We want the police to rule out using VLAD against protesters so that Australians can feel safe expressing their legitimate concerns about G20”
Photos: High resolution photos available – generationalpha.facebook@gmail.com Generation Alpha: www.facebook.com/GenerationAlpha Interviews: Ben Pennings – (+61) 0418 164 014 (Time Zone: AEST +10)
It’s easy for the police to say that they won’t use VLAD against lawful protesters – they can’t use them against anything lawful. The question is whether they will use VLAD on protesters if there is any incidents, whether those incidents are initiated by police or protester behaviour. I’ll be sending a release out today and hopefully do some more media to increase the pressure on a proper commitment.
see also http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/plan-for-g20-underwear-protest-cancelled-20140220-331wx.html
Kind Regards
Ben Pennings
Campaign Coordinator
Over Our Dead Bodies
http://www.OverOurDeadBodies.net
Publisher
Generation Alpha
http://www.facebook.com/GenerationAlpha
Reblogged this on Aussie Justice.
G20 has its own draconian set of laws [G20 (Safety and Security) Act 2014] – it doesn’t need VLAD – one of the worst aspects of G20 laws is the power to stop, search and arrest where there is a ‘presumption against bail’ which means cops can charge you with whatever and put you in jail without bail!
And then there is the exclusion zone.
No one will get anywhere near the G20!
The VLAD laws prevent working class crims moving into white collar crime (e.g. drugs, prostitution, money laundering, tax evasion, property development) — an area where the LNP has petit-bourgeoise friends and financial support.
Ian Curr
Feb 2014
‘Labour market reform’ is listed as one of four targets proposed by the IMF and accepted by the G20 .
This is code for work harder for lower wages and restricting the right to organise in unions.
The IMF endorses the loss of jobs through privatisation of monopolies (or near) like Telstra, QANTAS and Queensland Rail. Telstra has announced last week that they are sending jobs offshore.
Patricks
QANTAS chief, Alan Joyce, has told the government that he is ready to do a Corrigan and embark on a Patricks style industrial campaign against the unions. Over 2,000 wharfies lost their jobs one night in April 1998 which Chris Corrigan unlawfully sacked the entire Patricks workforce. This led to 50% redundancies on the waterfront paid from public monies. No greater efficiencies were realised, the crane rates stayed the same. It was never about that, it was about taking power from the MUA.
Government to slash public sector cut funding to community
References
After the waterfront – the workers are quiet”
Treasurer Joe Hockey says G20 backs government economic reform plan