Round two

By the time you read this story, the fate of Emma Corro, Robert Inder-Smith, Nicolette Burrows and Gary Meyerhoff, will have been decided by Darwin's Magistrate's Court. In an attempt to defuse protest activity in the Northern Territory, the Clare Martin Labor government passed legislation through the Northern Territory Assembly in late 2001 to stop activists using occupations as a political tool.

Four members of the Northern Territory Network Against Prohibition group, an organisation that is fighting to highlight the Clare Labor government's draconian drug laws, face the prospect of spending the next seven years in jail if they are found guilty of the charge of business invasion, an offence which is directly aimed at stopping activists using occupations as a political tool. No other Australian State or territory government has introduced such draconian legislation to deal with peaceful protests.

Emma, Nicolette, Gary and Robert were charged with business invasion and trespass as a result of a peaceful thirty minute occupation of the Chief Minister, Clare Martin's electoral office on the 1st of August 2002, the day that the Northern Territory drug house laws came into force. The only other time that the offence of business invasion has been used, was late last year when a number of network Against Prohibition activists occupied the Northern Territory Chief Health Officers office to show their concerns about the effects of the new drug house laws. One activist was acquitted of all charges, the others were found guilty of trespassing. The trespassing charges are being appealed.

In a hearing that's set down to last three days, the four accused will be facing about 12 prosecution witnesses, eleven of whom are police. The Network Against Prohibition activists will be defending the stand they took in court.

It's important that radical activists across the country keep a close eye on what's happening in the Northern Territory.

If the accused are found guilty of the charge of business invasion and are sentenced to long terms in prison, for what up to now has been considered to be legitimate political action, it won't be long before other States toy with the idea of passing similar legislation to deal with protestors who use direct action to highlight an issue.

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Gary on 0415 162 525 or Nicolette on 0418 985 701. Have a look at NAP's website http://www.napnt.org email napnt (a) bigpond.net.au, write to them at N.A.P., 19 Gilbert Street, Ludmilla 0820, Northern Territory, Australian or telephone them on +61 (0) 889 420 570.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 27th June 2003
Source: Anarchist Age Weekly Review (Melbourne)
Author: Joseph Toscano