A belated protest

ABOUT 50 people gathered in State Square on Friday to protest against the Territory Government’s new anti-social behaviour legislation.

The protest followed a demonstration in the Assembly on Wednesday when about 20 people were escorted from the visitors’ gallery during debate on the Bill.

The new laws increase police powers to move people on if they are behaving in an anti-social manner in a public place.

They also increase the ability of police to enter properties where anti-social activities are a regular occurrence.

The majority of speakers at Friday’s rally spoke with conviction against the tough new laws.

On more than one occasion speakers requested that politicians from both sides of the political fence speak to them.

There were jeers at the political no-show.

Unfortunately for organisers almost all our 25 MLAs were in Alice Springs for the Show and had no idea they were being sought for comment in Darwin.

The protest on Friday posed another much more obvious question.

These laws were first flagged by the Government last March. So, why has it taken until July to mobilise any movement against them?

Surely it would have been appropriate to launch a campaign against the new Bill before Thursday’s debate.

The Government rushed through the Bill using the Assembly’s urgency provisions, but it had previously released documents outlining the legislation and the reasons behind it.

To have the laws revised, protesters will have to again rely on the type of national pressure that forced the Federal Government to act on mandatory sentencing.

Newshawk: http://nt.socialist-alliance.org/
Pubdate: 10th July 2001
Source: Northern Territory News (Editorial)
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2001 Northern Territory News