Campaign against Drug House Laws Hots Up

Five civil liberties activists were arrested by the NT Police on Friday the 22nd of March after refusing to cease a demonstration against the “Drug House Laws” proposed by the NT Labor Government. The activists, all members of the newly formed Network Against Prohibition, were demonstrating outside the Justice Department offices in Darwin and demanding to speak with Justice Minister Peter Toyne. After just 30 minutes, and with no sign of Toyne, the police moved in and arrested five people.

The activists subsequently spent 5 hours in the watch-house at Berrimah Police Headquarters before being charged with a range of offences including, failing to cease to loiter and unreasonably causing substantial annoyance. The five are set to appear in the Darwin Magistrates Court on the 4th of April and all are intending to plead not guilty and have the matters set for trial.

During the demonstration, NAP activist Gary Meyerhoff maintained an animated monologue, calling on Toyne to consult with the Darwin community over the drug house legislation. Meyerhoff pointed to the application of the NSW legislation, which has been used by NSW Police to target the Vietnamese community in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, the Indigenous Community in Redfern, especially around the block and the gay community, through raids on gay venues in Oxford Street.

One example given by Meyerhoff was an assault by NSW Police on the Sydney nightclub scene on the 21st of October last year. 300 police, some armed with sniffer dogs (and many – probably all, with firearms), raided 5 nightclubs in the Sydney area simultaneously. Over 1000 club-goers were subjected to drug searches. In all, 18 people were arrested for drug offences, with only 4 of the 18 charged with the more serious offence of supply.

Civil liberties campaigners in Darwin are extremely alarmed at the prospect of similar legislation in the Northern Territory. Police Commissioner Paul White, who Meyerhoff has labelled a moron, has alluded to nightclubs being targeted as part of the drug offensive that is promised to start in June.

The Friday 22nd March protest marked the beginning of a major campaign against the drug house legislation in the short term, but against prohibition and zero tolerance policing in the long term. This event followed the successful rally called by the Top End Users Forum on the 7th of March.

NAP activists have joined the call for a major demonstration for M1 (1st of May), and Darwin M1 organisers have added the demand “Stop the war on drug users.” NAP activists will also participate in the M1 teach-in at the NTU campus on the 13th of April. A workshop, facilitated by NAP will attempt to make the links between the “War on Drugs” and corporate globalisation.

In the lead up to M1, NAP activists will be conducting a number of other events including a hand-in at the Darwin Local Police Office, where 10 to 15 community members will be handing themselves into the Police for smoking Cannabis and a community smoke-in in Raintree Park on the 20th of April. People are being encouraged to bring their own Cannabis to the event, and to be aware that in the NT smoking Cannabis in a Public Place still attracts a 28-day mandatory sentence under Labor.

NAP activist Gary Meyerhoff said “between Aagard, Martin and Toyne, drug users are faced with their very own axis of evil in the Northern Territory. I urge Territorians to get involved in the struggle against Labor’s attacks on drug users.”

For further info, or to arrange an interview call Gary on 0415 16 2525.