Darwin anti-Prohibition campaigner a few tokes closer to Mayoral robes

Stuart Highway, human rights activist and member of the Network Against Prohibition launched his campaign for election to the position of Darwin Lord Mayor by lighting a giant joint at today’s successful community smoke-in.

About 50 people, plus onlookers gathered in Raintree Park to protest against the Northern Territory Governments ‘drug house’ laws.* These laws are used by NT Police to target the indigenous community, who are already disproportionately affected by zero tolerance policing tactics. 86% of inmates in the NT Correctional system are indigenous.

Launching his campaign at the smoke-in today Mr Highway said ‘ If the racist NT police state wasn’t harassing us over drugs they’d be giving us a hard time over some other issue. We people - people on low incomes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, long grass people, unemployed people, young people, the working class. They don’t usually go after people at the big end of town, except on the odd occasion when they make an example of someone, trying to make it look like their INjustice system is impartial. Yet the wealthy commit crimes against their own system, more than us, it’s just that they don’t get targeted.’

The NT Police employed at least four undercover officers for the operation, and as the event drew to a close, 3 patrol cars occupied by 7 police officers attended Raintree Park in an unsuccessful attempt to intimidate and harass the crowd.

The Network Against Prohibition are also running candidates in the Chan and Lyons wards. For further information contact the NAP media facilitator on 0415 16 2525 or see http://www.napnt.org

* The ‘drug house’ laws enable police to have a house declared a ‘drug premises’. It is then signposted with a 1.2 metre high flourescent green sign. Once the sign is erected, police can raid the house without a warrant whenever they choose, conduct cavity searches on people at the premises and stop anyone within 200 metres of the sign.

Contact Information:

Lord Mayor in waiting – Stuart Highway (08) 8948 2547

Chan Ward – Robert Inder-Smith (08) 8985 6334

Lyons Ward – Gary Meyerhoff (08) 8942 0570

Campaign facilitator - Michael Lambe 0408 893 142

For more info on the Darwin City Council election campaign see http://darwin.indymedia.org