The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/index.html Wednesday, April 14, 1999 Police use capsicum spray on protester By GEESCHE JACOBSEN Two males were arrested at an anti-uranium mine protest on the corner of George and King streets yesterday and charged with assault. The protest outside a Westpac branch was against the bank's links to the Jabiluka mine's owner, North Limited. Police used capsicum spray when arresting Jesse Wynhausen, 20, from Paddington. He had already been put in a police van after an altercation with a Westpac security officer over a protest banner. A police spokesman alleged the man was kicking police and preventing them closing the van's door. A witness, Mr Glenn Lockitch, said: "As far as I could see [the man] was not at all aggressive." He said many bystanders were shocked when the police used capsicum. Wynhausen denied assaulting the bank's officer. He said he was not kicking at the police but trying to stop them closing the door of the van. "I wanted to know what I was being charged with ... they refused to tell me," he said. "Then they pulled out the capsicum spray and threatened to use it." He said police then sprayed him three or four times in about 20 seconds, causing a burning sensation in his eyes, on his face and in his throat. A police spokesman refused to reveal guidelines for the use of capsicum, saying the man was warned it would be used. "That's the way they do it now. It is preventing further breaches of the peace," the spokesman said. Wynhausen was treated for the effects of the spray by ambulance officers after arriving at Sydney Central police station. He is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 4. A youth, 16, was also arrested and charged with assault. He refused to give police his name and was refused bail. He is due to appear in Bidura Children's Court this morning. This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
