logo
#

Latest news with #civilLiberties

‘Absurd' dropped charge for protester Hannah Thomas raises police bias questions
‘Absurd' dropped charge for protester Hannah Thomas raises police bias questions

SBS Australia

time09-07-2025

  • Politics
  • SBS Australia

‘Absurd' dropped charge for protester Hannah Thomas raises police bias questions

Civil liberties groups have criticised NSW Police's attempt to invoke rarely used anti-riot laws for the first time in over a decade against former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas, questioning whether police are biased against pro-Palestinian protesters. Thomas was seriously injured after being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest in June and says she may never regain sight in her right eye. NSW Police confirmed it would seek to drop the charge relating to emergency police powers under section 6A of the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act (LEPRA) laid on 27 June, and have added an alternate charge of refusing to comply with a direction to move on. "On Monday 30 June 2025, I put in place a process to review the charges laid in this matter to ensure the relevant and most appropriate charges are applied," NSW Police assistant commissioner Brett McFadden said in a statement. "The review is part of normal critical incident protocols." On Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald revealed Thomas had been charged under the laws introduced in late 2005 to give police more powers to stop "large-scale demonstrations" in the wake of the Cronulla riots in December that year. Advocates say the treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters by NSW Police is highly concerning. Source: AAP / Flavio Brancaleone But some lawyers say they are shocked the charge was ever laid, as the emergency police powers outlined in LEPRA cannot be invoked without high-level approval from the commissioner of police or premier, and cannot apply retroactively if that approval was never given. "Even the police say that this would be an inappropriate misuse of police powers — in the NSW police submission when these laws were reviewed they said a peaceful assembly could never be categorised as a riot or other civil disturbance," Human Rights Centre senior lawyer David Mejia-Canales told SBS News. Hannah Thomas in hospital being treated for her eye injury, in a still taken from a video on her Instagram page. Source: Instagram / Hannah Thomas Meija-Canales said the laws give police "unbelievable powers" that aren't often used "for good reason". "The fact that these laws have been used and the charges have been removed under a review where the police haven't actually explained why they were laid in the first place, that raises incredible concerns," he said. "We're also really concerned about the fact that police do seem to be targeting protests for Palestine and also protests for climate action, maybe disproportionately and with incredible force, compared to other types of peaceful assemblies." Police confirmed four others were arrested on 27 June but were not charged with the same anti-riot offence as Thomas, as about 60 people protested outside a Sydney firm they say is manufacturing material used in Israeli fighter jets. A still from an undated video showing police and protesters clashing outside a Sydney factory. The protesters said the factory was supplying material used in Israeli fighter jets. Source: AAP / Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini/PR IMAGE What are NSW's anti-riot laws? In 2005, following the Cronulla riots, then-NSW Premier Morris Iemma recalled parliament to vote on legislation which would give police more powers to force people to move along amid large-scale demonstrations where there was a risk of public disorder, and seize and detain objects and search people without a warrant. Iemma stated the powers "are not intended to be used in respect of peaceful protests, union demonstrations and the like". They haven't been invoked for protests since 2011. Since their introduction, police have not clarified how many people would constitute a "large-scale" demonstration. In October 2023, NSW deputy police commissioner David Hudson told reporters he was seeking to enable the anti-riot powers before a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney's Hyde Park, a decision backed by Premier Chris Minns. A legal case was brought against the proposal and police ultimately backed down, choosing not to invoke the emergency powers. Senior lawyer at Redfern Legal Centre Sam Lee said section 6A of LEPRA gives police extensive powers to move people on only if there is a risk of public disturbance. She said it was "absurd" to have levelled them against Thomas and "there are allegations police used powers unlawfully" against the former Greens candidate for Grayndler. "They're very extensive powers and certainly I think it would've been just not required in this situation," Lee told SBS News. "I would be surprised if anyone in the police department actually approved these charges of such calibre and therefore why an officer charged someone under 6A ... it just doesn't make sense". Allegations of bias Australian Democracy Network (ADN) protest rights campaigner Anastasia Radievska said it's "extra worrying" police were "attempting to charge somebody for not complying with powers that they weren't aware existed at the time" at the protest Thomas attended. Radievska also pointed out it's not clear on what legal basis police issued a move-on order to the demonstrators. "That's kind of the big unanswered question: under what legal authority were these quite extreme uses of force undertaken and the charges brought." She said in NSW "there's been an escalating pattern of police violence at protests where there's large representation of Muslim communities and similarly protests where there's basically communities that are already vulnerable to policing when they demonstrate in large numbers". A recent ADN report stated police have imposed particularly heavy-handed directions, surveillance and restrictions on protests carried out by SWANA (South West Asian and North African) and First Nations communities since 2019, based on reports from independent legal observers. Pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney's Hyde Park in November last year. There has been regular pro-Palesitian protests in Sydney since the start of the Hamas-Israel war. Source: AAP / Flavio Brancaleone "In 2023-24, police in NSW were observed by independent legal observers to target cars with Palestinian flags driving near Hyde Park during a rally for stop and searches, with drivers being fined for minor infringements such as tucking P plates under a number plate instead of on a bracket," the report states. "Police were also observed to be writing down the number plates of vehicles with Palestinian flags. None of the other many cars passing by the area were stopped and searched or had their vehicles recorded by police." SBS News contacted NSW Police for comment on claims the force appeared to be targeting protesters disproportionately. A spokesperson referred to McFadden's earlier statement on Thomas' charges and said further comment would not be provided as the matter is before the court. Mejia-Canales said since October 2023 there has been a "weaponisation of the law to target protests for Palestine". "The most recent objections that police have had — where they lodged Supreme Court challenges to prevent protests from going ahead — were protests for Palestine, particularly one that was going to occur one year after the Hamas attacks in Israel." He said this was despite peaceful protests happening in support of Palestinians "every week for a year". "The overwhelming number of those protests have been peaceful, but police still sought to block a protest from going ahead, a protest for peace in Palestine based on some ridiculous assessment, including that the planter boxes that are outside town hall in Sydney are going to be dangerous somehow to protesters. "I mean, it really does seem that the police is really just clutching at straws to kind of weaponise more laws to prevent protests from happening, in particular protests regarding peace in Palestine."

Retired Bristol priest, 83, arrested at Palestine Action protest
Retired Bristol priest, 83, arrested at Palestine Action protest

BBC News

time07-07-2025

  • Politics
  • BBC News

Retired Bristol priest, 83, arrested at Palestine Action protest

"The law does not have an age limit", the head of the Metropolitan Police said after an 83-year-old retired priest was arrested for supporting a banned protest Sue Parfitt from Henbury in Bristol was led away by officers at the Palestine Action demonstration in Parliament Square, London, on protest group is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, making membership or expressing support for them punishable by up to 14 years in Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "It is not about protest. This is about an organisation committing serious criminality." A total of 29 people were arrested at the demonstration and have since been released on police bail pending further inquiries. The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with red paint at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June. It caused about £7m of damage, police voted in favour of legislation to proscribe group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation on Friday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously described the group as "disgraceful" and highlighted their "long history of unacceptable criminal damage". On Saturday, Ms Parfitt sat in a camp chair surrounded by other protesters, holding a placard stating her support for Palestine. As she was led away by police, she branded the ban "total nonsense", adding it symbolised a "loss of civil liberties in this country". In a letter to the Home Secretary, protesters said: "We do not wish to go to prison or to be branded with a terrorism conviction, but we refuse to be cowed into silence by your order." Sir Mark was asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show whether it was a good use of police said: "The law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80."If you're supporting proscribed organisations, then the law is going to be enforced."Officers, you could see, did it with great care and tried to preserve that person's dignity, but they're breaking a serious law."He added over the last 18 months, the group had been accused of committing "some really serious criminal offences", some of which are being taken to trial.

ACLU of Colorado urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation of members of the public
ACLU of Colorado urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation of members of the public

CBS News

time05-07-2025

  • Politics
  • CBS News

ACLU of Colorado urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation of members of the public

ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation The ACLU of Colorado is raising concerns about transparency inside Denver's immigration courthouse. On Thursday, the organization sent a formal letter accusing court staff and federal agents of restricting public access -- and in some cases, detaining legal observers without cause. CBS The ACLU says the ability for the public and media to monitor court proceedings is being blocked, raising concerns about basic civil liberties. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintains it is simply enforcing the rule of law. "It is fundamental that members of the public, members of the press, need to see what is happening in our immigration courts," said Tim Macdonald, legal director for the ACLU of Colorado. Legal observers and attorneys say they've recently been silenced, shut out, and in some cases, even handcuffed while attempting to observe proceedings. "It's really been in the last three or four weeks that we've seen this amped-up effort to limit public access," Macdonald said. He added that the lack of transparency contradicts the very principles of democracy. "Democracy dies behind closed doors. Democracy dies in the darkness," he said. "We've heard rhetoric from this administration about the types of people they claim to be deporting -- but the facts are contrary." Christina Brown, an immigration attorney with the Colorado Asylum Center, called recent developments "unprecedented." "In the 12 years I've practiced law, that has never happened before," Brown said. "So that's something really new -- and really scary -- for a lot of people." Attorneys and advocates say enforcement efforts have ramped up significantly in recent weeks. Observers once quietly allowed to sit in on hearings are now being told to leave. "If you are not there with a client, and you say you're observing, they will make you leave," Brown added. ICE responded to the ACLU's concerns by stating that the current administration is "implementing the rule of law," reversing previous policies that allowed undocumented individuals to be released without a notice to appear. In a statement, the agency added: "Most aliens who illegally entered within the past two years are subject to expedited removals." A spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review under the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment for this story. Advocates argue the current process isn't fair to those trying to adjust their legal status. "Entering the country without inspection is not a crime -- it's a civil infraction," Brown said. "It's like being sued for an unpaid bill, the court ruling against you, and then police coming to arrest you. It's a huge escalation for people trying to follow the rules." The ACLU is calling on the immigration court to reverse course and restore public access. Advocates say what's at stake is more than courtroom visibility -- it's the foundation of due process itself. The following document is the letter sent by the ACLU of Colorado:

Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action
Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action

Yahoo

time26-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action

A Green Party peer has said she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action if the order reaches the House Of Lords. During a talk at Glastonbury Festival's Speakers Forum with Palestine Action activist Francesca Nadin, Baroness Jenny Jones said people inside the Lords had told her she 'should not be sharing a platform' with the group, but she added she was 'proud' to be with them. It comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would proscribe Palestine Action and would lay an order before Parliament in the coming days to make membership and support for them illegal, after a number of the group's members vandalised two planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Following the talk, Baroness Jones told the PA news agency: 'I've worked on policing issues, civil liberties and protests for more than 25 years, and I know very clearly, very well, that what the Government is doing to Palestine Action is not a legal act. 'They are not a terrorist organisation and, to be honest, if the Government proscribes them, there's going to be an outcry. 'Presumably, the legislation will come to the House of Lords, and I will definitely vote against it. 'It is bizarre, because it almost looks as if the Government is frightened of protest. I mean, that's something that I've seen with the Conservative government, but now with the Labour Government, we're seeing it as well. 'They actually don't like opposition of any sort, and that's not democracy, and what they are planning to do is not democratic.' The 75-year-old said the group, along with fellow activist organisation Youth Demand, 'represent an energy and a future that quite honestly is beyond me at the moment', adding she was 'furious' with the Government during the talk. She told PA: 'If some of us in the House of Lords vote against proscribing Palestine Action, will that make us liable for prosecution in some way or another? 'They've got a huge number of supporters, 250,000 at least, and I'm sure this particular action by the Government will give them even more supporters. 'The Government is going to find it very difficult to suppress the protest.' Baroness Jones spoke as Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have seen one of their members charged with a terror offence, prepare to perform on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday. Before the festival, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would not be 'appropriate' for them to perform their slot at Worthy Farm. Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. On Thursday evening, the rap trio posted a film to social media, titled Stop The Genocide, which includes testimonies from a Palestinian activist and plastic surgeon on the war in Gaza.

Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action
Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action

The Independent

time26-06-2025

  • Politics
  • The Independent

Green Party peer says she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action

A Green Party peer has said she will vote against proscribing Palestine Action if the order reaches the House Of Lords. During a talk at Glastonbury Festival's Speakers Forum with Palestine Action activist Francesca Nadin, Baroness Jenny Jones said people inside the Lords had told her she 'should not be sharing a platform' with the group, but she added she was 'proud' to be with them. It comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would proscribe Palestine Action and would lay an order before Parliament in the coming days to make membership and support for them illegal, after a number of the group's members vandalised two planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Following the talk, Baroness Jones told the PA news agency: 'I've worked on policing issues, civil liberties and protests for more than 25 years, and I know very clearly, very well, that what the Government is doing to Palestine Action is not a legal act. 'They are not a terrorist organisation and, to be honest, if the Government proscribes them, there's going to be an outcry. 'Presumably, the legislation will come to the House of Lords, and I will definitely vote against it. 'It is bizarre, because it almost looks as if the Government is frightened of protest. I mean, that's something that I've seen with the Conservative government, but now with the Labour Government, we're seeing it as well. 'They actually don't like opposition of any sort, and that's not democracy, and what they are planning to do is not democratic.' The 75-year-old said the group, along with fellow activist organisation Youth Demand, 'represent an energy and a future that quite honestly is beyond me at the moment', adding she was 'furious' with the Government during the talk. She told PA: 'If some of us in the House of Lords vote against proscribing Palestine Action, will that make us liable for prosecution in some way or another? 'They've got a huge number of supporters, 250,000 at least, and I'm sure this particular action by the Government will give them even more supporters. 'The Government is going to find it very difficult to suppress the protest.' Baroness Jones spoke as Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have seen one of their members charged with a terror offence, prepare to perform on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday. Before the festival, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would not be 'appropriate' for them to perform their slot at Worthy Farm. Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. On Thursday evening, the rap trio posted a film to social media, titled Stop The Genocide, which includes testimonies from a Palestinian activist and plastic surgeon on the war in Gaza.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store