From: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/index.asp?URL=/state/4390283.htm Baton charge victory - $200,000 payout on school protest By JASON SILVERII 26mar99 A FLOOD of writs will hit Victoria Police after the first civil action stemming from the Richmond Secondary College baton charge was settled yesterday. About 20 writs will be lodged in the County Court as early as next week in the wake of the settlement of Lorraine Johnson's $200,000 damages claim against seven police officers and the State of Victoria. Mrs Johnson's solicitor, Ms Pauline Spencer, said yesterday she would meet the claimants next week and then issue proceedings immediately. Mrs Johnson, 66, of Richmond, sued for damages for the assault and battery she said she suffered when the officers and the state acted in concert during the December 13, 1993, baton charge. The charge came after the college was closed in 1992 and then occupied by protesters, who had run a rebel school for almost a year when police moved in to allow contractors on to the site. In a written statement, the Victoria Police said the settlement was confidential and was not an admission of liability by police or the state. "The decision to settle this claim was made after considering unique circumstances," the statement read. "This case would not set a precedent and any other claims will be vigorously defended." The trial was set to be heard in the County Court on April 20. Speaking at the offices of the Fitzroy Legal Service yesterday, Mrs Johnson said she was very happy with the settlement. Mrs Johnson, who had four children attend the school and was on the school council, recalled the baton charge on the day she called Black Friday. "We were given two minutes to move or else," she said. "But I wasn't going to be moved and I wasn't going to be threatened and intimidated like that. "The batons were out and they started moving towards us with this 'move, move, move'. "And they got closer and closer and I was scared stiff." Mrs Johnson said she was not sure how many times she was hit, but said it could have been as many as 30 or 40 times. She suffered a permanent 20 per cent reduction in the use of her right arm and was still attending a physiotherapist twice a week. Friends of Richmond campaigner Elvie Sievers said she hoped the settlement sent the message to the State Government that not only should dissent be tolerated, but it was a citizen's duty. [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 Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
