FAST TRACKED ANTI-PROTEST LAWS ARE BEING INTRODUCED INTO PARLIAMENT ON OCT 22, JOIN US TO FIGHT BACK.
————————————————————
In the 70s and 80s Bjelke-Petersen stole our right to protest, and Queenslanders fought back and won. But democracy is never a given, and in 2019 it’s up to us to stop history from repeating itself.
Annastacia Palaszczuk is fast-tracking the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (the “dangerous devices” legislation), a bill aimed at demonising the traditional peaceful lock-on device. This device has won Australians everything from a woman’s right to drink at a bar, to the protection of the Franklin River and Jabiluka. It is nonviolent at its very heart.
These laws are a gross impingement on our rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of communication. Yet, with Palaszczuk’s use of “urgent powers” (the same powers used to pass the VLAD laws (Qld Bikie Laws) in one day) this Bill could be law by the end of the month, and won’t be subject to proper scrutiny.
Palaszczuk and the Labor Government want to silence dissenters to their gross inaction on climate change by increasing police search powers and adding new offences for locking on with a maximum penalty of 2 years imprisonment, under the guise of lock-ons being “dangerous”.
This is a chilling assault on our democracy. The laws are unnecessary, unfounded, and undemocratic. Like most laws, these ones will impact already marginalised and targeted communities hardest.
Beyond these laws we are seeing a targeted approach from politicians and the state more broadly to vilify peaceful protesters, enforce unfair penalties and ridiculous bail conditions. The Brisbane City Council has tried to stop peaceful marches from going ahead at all, coal company lawyers have deliberately bankrupted Indigenous activists and have made them trespassers on their own land, and young people have been receiving orders up to $75 000 as retribution for peaceful protest.
All of this – because the Government is more prepared to use urgent powers to silence protestors than to answer their demands for climate justice.
So what are we gonna do? Stand up fight back!
October 22 is the first sitting date of the week in which Palaszczuk has announced the Bill will be debated in Parliament. No matter who you are or what you believe is important enough to protest for, if you think people in Queensland have the right to peaceful assembly, join us at this action to DEMAND that the Qld Government reject this Bill and DO NOT fast-track laws that silence dissent!
Speakers and more details to follow.
This march is occurring on the lands of the Jagera and Turrbul Peoples. Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. We acknowledge that First Nations people will feel the impacts of new search powers and penalties hardest, and have always been subjected to mistreatment, abuse and murder at the hands of the so-called justice system.
There is no climate justice without justice for First Nations people.
