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email the perth indmedia mob...
Pepper Spray and Batons Used to Suppress an Anti-Nuclear Protest at Federal Minister Julie Bishop’s Office |
| by wowi |
2007-07-17 11:49 PM +0800 |
| Two protesters and one police officer were hospitalised, and protesters beaten and pepper sprayed during a demonstration against plans for Northern Territory Nuclear waste dumps, which resulted in five arrests, at Federal Science Minister, Julie Bishop’s office, in Subiaco, on Friday July 13. |
“We were witness to about 5 people on the ground just repeatedly getting hit over the head,” said Jeremy Skellern, who was pepper sprayed. One man sustained a broken arm, and another, head injuries during the protest. Toward final stages of the protest eviction a police officer was hit in the head by a rock.
Protesters were victim to excessive force without warning and provocation, as police literally forced people out of the building with threat, and violence. No opportunity was given for protestors to exit the premises calmly and safely. Police spokes person Ros Weatherall said that any police force used was appropriate, and in self-defense, and that protester injuries were sustained from protesters stoning each other.
Protesters from all over Australia, including Mitch, an Eastern Arrernte and Luritja woman from the Engawala community, in Harts Range which is proposed for a nuclear waste dump. Mitch, as the Indigenous representative of affected communities in the Northern Territory, came to formally request that Julie Bishop visit locals, some of which live as close as 4kms to proposed Nuclear waste sites.
“As the minister responsible for the dump site she should be held accountable by the people she is directly impacting by the proposal.” said Natalie Wasley, of the Arid Lands Environmental Centre. In January this year ABC reported Julie Bishop as saying that proposed nuclear waste sites “…are some distance from any form of civilisation."
As she entered the building, Julie Bishop, married to City of Perth Mayor Peter Natrass, told protesters that Muckaty station, one of four proposed sites, is confirmed to become a nuclear waste dump, but did not stop to hear concerns or receive the formal request, in the form of a letter, to speak directly with those affected. Bishop however did have time to request Natalie Wasley stop repeating her quote in media.
At roughly 2.30pm about 40 protesters stood in the lobby of Julie Bishop’s office playing drums and dancing, as one protester announced, “Julie Bishop is here today and she has consistently refused to respond to us. We ask her to come and visit the sites personally,” and continued that they would occupy the foyer until she agreed to meet the group, and hear their concerns.
During the peaceful demonstration, two police officers had entered the building, and surveyed the premises. They then made an agreement with protesters outside to conduct proceedings peacefully, when two more police officers arrived. The officers were visibly agitated, and with out pausing to talk to the other first officers, who had made an agreement with protesters, ran to the side, jumping the fence and entered via the courtyard. Shortly after screams could be heard, and protesters began to scramble out.
Inside, police could be seen swinging extendable batons, sometimes from above head height, using pepper spray, sometimes with as little as 10cms distance from the face, and using strong shoving movements, whilst repeatedly shouting a directive to “MOVE”. Journalists were also attacked with batons and pepper spray, in the chaotic police response.
One protester, later charged with assault, was face down on the floor of the foyer, straddled by an officer who repeatedly hit him in the head with a baton. A number of protesters gathered to aid him, but soon after another two police officers stood above him hitting anything within range.
As one elderly woman, and freelance documentary maker, ran away from the fray, she was violently whacked in the back from a height, by a large officer, which sent her falling to the ground. Police are said to have repeatedly struck a man and a woman holding their children in the arms, who repeatedly requested to be let out, but were trapped against a locked door.
Approximately 20 police officers and their vehicles were surrounding the building as the protesters were evicted, threatening protesters with arrest if they stood on the footpath. Protesters were told they were only safe if sitting in the council park, and were threatened if arrest is they attempted to cross either Nicholson Rd, or Rokeby Rd, from the park.
Within minutes of the exodus, police began to seize cameras for evidence, and harass protesters who had refused to move straight to the park, particularly those trying to act as police liaisons, and legal observers. Skirmishes broke out with violent arrests being made, between and on top of civilian cars, stationed at the traffic lights on Rokeby Rd. One woman, filming the incident at the time, was violently pushed onto a stationary vehicle, her camera seized, and charged for obstruction. Police spokesperson Ros Weatherall said that cameras and video would not be returned until after court proceedings had finished.
On Saturday, John Howard responded, from the other side of the country, by saying of the protesters, “That kind of thuggery is totally unacceptable and the people who engage in that type of conduct should be dealt with in accordance with the law."
In the aftermath, charged protesters have been receiving harassing calls at their homes in the lead up to initial court hearings. A Greens staffer, trained in Non Violent Direct Action, who was arrested at the protest but not charged, has been asked to resign from the party. |
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POLICE=THUGGERY |
| by nephew noodle |
2007-07-17 11:51 PM +0800 |
“That kind of thuggery is totally unacceptable and the people who engage in that type of conduct should be dealt with in accordance with the law." With a shift of context, the PM’s statements are totally accurate - *Police thuggery is totally unacceptable, and protesters are planning to press assault charges*
Link here
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technicalities |
| by sater |
2007-07-18 12:11 PM +0800 |
from what i heard the people and the kids were more repeatedly shoved than "struck" - whilst they were trying to leave- but the first two "rouge" cops were rushing IN. This happened before any other violence started- it was the kids screams that were mentioned. It seemed that this incident spured on the rest of the cops to rush in more quickly and respond TO the screams and kids panic... making it all worse...
It turns out the mans arm is not broken, but badly bruised on the bone- the doctor was suprised it was not broken.
BUt this article is by far the best i have seen so far.
PEople did bring out quite a bit of footage... where is it? No wonder disorganised, non-heirachy hippys dont win! Get it out there!!!
Link here
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