Drug laws opponents gatecrash parliament

DARWIN – Eleven protesters from the Network Against Prohibition (NAP) stormed the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly chamber on May 14. The group was protesting the introduction of the Territory Labor Government’s “drug house” legislation.

The legislation will allow police to apply to a court to have a house or a nightclub deemed a “drug house”. Police can raid a “drug house” without a warrant, seize property and arrest anyone on the premises.

The NAP group left the public gallery and were in the chamber before security guards could act. One protester sat in the speaker’s chair before being dragged off. Other members of the group jumped onto the assembly’s main table holding placards that described the NT as a police state.

The group occupied the floor of the assembly for five minutes before they left, NAP members allege that unnecessary force was used against them by security and a police officer.

The protesters could be charged with “disrupting the house while it is in motion” and be liable to three years’ jail. Nine people have been questioned over the incident.

Newshawk: Fiona Clarke
Pubdate: 22 May 2002
Source: Green Left Weekly
Author: Owain Lewis-Jones
Website: http://www.greenleft.org.au
Email: glw@greenleft.org.au