Hello LeftLinkers
Below is a letter that Radical Women sent to Steve Bracks about the
proposed "Peaceful Assemblies Bill" and forwarded to Donna Robertson, who
recently asked subscribers for opinions. The letter was presented at an RW
meeting this past Thursday on the militarising of Australia's police (guest
speaker was Jude McCulloch, feminist community lawyer and author of "Blue
Army: Paramilitarity Policing in Australia") and signed by RW members and
guests.
Debbie Brennan
Melbourne Radical Women Organiser
____________________________
Radical Women
PO Box 266, West Brunswick Vic 3055
The Hon Steve Bracks
Office of the Premier
1 Treasury Place
Melbourne 3000
30 August 2001
Dear Premier Bracks
We, the undersigned, condemn your government's proposed "Peaceful
Assemblies Bill" which would revoke the right of assembly in Victoria.
Coming just before the Commonwealth Business Forum in October, its
immediate purpose is self-evident.
Empowering police to crush demonstrations and threatening protesters with
collective penalties is a transparent and desperate attempt by your
government to protect the global profiteers. Working people and society's
most downtrodden, who are the targets of this bill, will not tolerate
repeats of the infamous scenes at Richmond Secondary College in 1994 and
the S11 protests last year. We will not be scapegoated for the economic
crisis, nor coerced into paying for it. Our rights are not for sale.
At the very least, justice requires the establishment of an elected,
community-controlled police review board, independent of government and the
police, with power to discipline and dismiss officers who harass, brutalise
or kill women, people of colour, young people, queers and workers - today's
protesters. The police must not be unleashed, they must be held accountable.
Yours sincerely
--
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