Union response to genocide inadequate

“Passivity is the same as defending injustice” – Deepak Chopra.

DURING the past 50 years in Brisbane Magandjin Queensland police have never dared to attack a rally on May Day. There are historical reasons for this and it must not happen again. This attack exposed weakness at all levels of the union movement. In the leadership because they see themselves as managers nay bosses. With the arrogance of your workplace HR department they called in the cops when they saw some workers would no longer suffer the injustice of watching a politician demand silence from union members protesting his governments complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

There was a lot of passivity by rank and file workers who observed the attack and police arresting a retired workers. Very few participants of the rally challenged the assault by police. Nor did the union members corralled in their bear tense who observed the retired Union is being frogmarched across the exhibition grounds. An officer in that persons union did not challenge police, virtually playing the role of facilitator, accepting the injustice and failing to intervene. These failings are extremely dispiriting tend to drive people into despair of the union. The willingness of QCU staff to accept their role of facilitating the police assault and on one occasion physically assisting in the assault was reprehensible.

“I’ve heard you out, now you listen to me, I have better working class credentials than all of you.” said Steven Miles, Premier of Queensland as his police forced physically assaulted two retired unionists, knocked a loud hailer from the hands of an Arab-Australian woman who challenged his imperious dismissal of workers concerned about the genocide in Gaza. Police chased the woman and a friend from the ground and frog-marched one of the retired unionists from the ground.

Below is a slide sequence and videos of the police attack, and those who ordered it, shot on 6th May 2024 at the annual May Day rally in the Exhibition grounds in Brisbane Magandjin. There are screenshots taken from Senior Constable Hayley MANNING’s body worn camera on 6 May 2024 beginning at 12:02 pm. It depicts the police assault on Ian David CURR and Jeffrey RICKERTT at the dais as then premier Steven MILES was speaking.

The assembly was authorised under the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992. An authority which included the carrying of banners flags and using loudhailers.

CURR, RICKERTT and others turned their backs on MILES when he spoke in silent disapproval of his government’s policy enabling weapons made in Queensland to be used by Israel against Palestinians.

Australia supplies weapons for genocide

QCU order police attack on unionists on May Day 2024
At the request of QCU Secretary Jaqueline KING (in the green T-shirt at the front of stage), Assistant Secretary Kate RUTTIMAN, and QCU officer, Renee KEMP, police were ordered to move in on unionists supporting Palestine at 12:04 pm in the exhibition grounds. The QCU had made earlier attempts to prevent people carrying Palestinian flags from coming into the exhibition grounds.

What gave the police the authority to disrupt an authorized assembly under the Peaceful Assemblies Act 1992? What is the protocol for the organisers to withdraw permission for participation by unionists and supporters protesting against the government peacefully in front of the stage?

I stood there silently with my back turned to the premier. No approach was made by the QCU despite attempts by the Justice for Palestine Magandjin organisers to engage with officials.

At 12:04:20 police move to the front of the dais from which MILES was speaking and KING was looking down at the unionists in the audience.

*QCU official indicating to police whom to attack*

*Prior to any interaction with Emma GORDON a police officer had already pushed me along the stage, and I had to grab on to the edge in order not to fall over. See Emma GORDON’S footage.*

At 12:04:46 police walk past a QCU official with pink hair and begin clearing a space in front of the dais. At the same time police push Ian CURR along the dais and he nearly falls over clinging to the edge of the stage. At 12:04:48 police push Ian CURR away from the stage.

MANNING says that she was next to constable THRELFALL when police moved into position in front of the stage. MANNING claims that THRELFALL and GORDON had to push Ian CURR away to get him to stop him pushing back against them. This is incorrect. Ian CURR had already been pushed along the front of the stage prior to this. Ian CURR placed his left hand on THRELFALLs right arm as he pushed Jeff Rickertt to the ground.

MANNING claims that she observed CURR stepping in between another person and Gordon preventing her from apprehending the other person by grabbing Gordon’s arm. This did not happen nor is it possible that MANNING observed anything that happened in front of the stage after 12:06 pm . MANNING was not there. She had left with THRELFALL assisting in the arrest of RICKERTT. There is no footage of a person spitting on officer GORDON as claimed by MANNING. The only interaction Ian Curr had with GORDON on that day was when he accompanied the Justice for Palestine police liaison, Ms Manal MONSOUR, who complained to Senior Sergeant GORDON about the arrest of Jeff RICKERTT and subsequently asked her superintendent charge about the well-being of their prisoner. Ian CURR spoke briefly to GORDON who made no complaint about having been assaulted or obstructed by CURR.

I have never met Senior Constable Hayley MANNING. Senior constable MANNING has never arrested me on any charge.

Slides of sequence of events during the police assault