Protesters storm parliament

PROTESTERS against drug prohibition have stormed Northern Territory's Parliament House, disrupting a sombre session in which respects were being paid to a stolen generations member.

An NT police spokeswoman said about 11 people invaded the Legislative Assembly main chamber about 12.30pm (CST) today.

Some protesters climbed onto the main table and one of the group sat in the speaker's chair before being dragged away by security guards.

The spokeswoman said it was believed today's intruders were the same group of people who had conducted protests outside parliament in the past few days.

She said police intended to lay charges.

"Police have seized videotape of Parliament House and are currently investigating the matter with a view to laying charges," she said.

Network Against Prohibition's Gary Meyerhoff told ABC radio his group had stormed the chamber as part of a campaign to mobilise the community against the Labor Government's proposed anti-drug legislation.

"We don't know where these drug laws have been pushed from but they're certainly not coming from your average Labor member in the NT," he said.

"It's coming from somewhere else and it's important that we stand up and resist this sort of legislation."

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 14th May 2002
Source: Herald Sun
Website: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/