RACNSW MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 28th October, 2003
POLICE ACTED UNLAWFULLY
MAGISTRATE DISMISSES RUDDOCK HOUSE PROTEST CHARGE
Magistrate Taylor at Hornsby local court on Monday dismissed a charge of
assault on police arising from the controversial refugee protest at the
then Minister for Immigration, Philip Ruddock's house on Saturday 19 July.
Police had refused permission for the protest which went ahead after a
Supreme Court judgement dismissing the police restraining action. On the
day of the protest however a line of police blocked the protesters from
reaching the vicinity of Ruddock's house.
Three people were arrested at the protest after police stopped the march
50 metres short of Ruddock's residence. Two of the protesters were
released with no charge, but police charged Mia Kriznic, 24, a union
organizer, with assault police.
Dismissing the charges against Kriznic today, magistrate Taylor found
that police had not been acting lawfully in the execution of their duty.
Talyor said it was clear, considering the Supreme Court judgement and
all the evidence surrounding the events, that police had acted
unlawfully by stopping the protest arbitrarily in Britannia Street.
"The decision by the magistrate today totally vindicates the refugee
protest," said Ian Rintoul, a spokesperson for the Refugee Action
Coalition which organized the march on Ruddock's house.
"We now expect an apology from the NSW police for their disruptive
actions on the day and their attempt to undermine the democratic right
to protest," he said.
"We are very concerned with the possibility of political interference in
the police decision to block the march. We will be writing to the police
to get an explanation of their decision and to find out who was
responsible for the moves to subvert the Supreme Court decision allowing
the march on Ruddock's house."
"We look forward to better co-operation with the NSW police in the
future to safeguard and uphold the right to protest" said Ian Rintoul.
"The right to protest has been under considerable pressure in recent
days both at a state and federal government level. There has even been
attempts to silence parliamentarians during the recent visit by George
Bush. We hope this decision will remind the politicians that the right
to dissent is an essential democratic right that cannot be minimized
without being lost," he said.
For more information contact; Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713 or Mia Kriznic
0423 593 344
.
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