Second Community Smoke-in to go ahead despite fears of Police Violence

The second community smoke-in “Smoke-up for Human Rights” will be held at high noon on Saturday the 8th of June in Raintree Park. Organisers are expecting hundreds of Territorians to gather in Raintree Park as a show of support for the Network Against Prohibition and the campaign for against the “war on drugs” in the Northern Territory.

“Smoke-up for Human Rights” will feature the highly acclaimed band “Ecowar”. Ecowar is a dutch band, based in Amsterdam. Local Acts “Father, Mother, Child” and “Freedom” will also entertain the crowd on June the 8th. “Father, Mother, Child” were due to play at the first smoke-in in Raintree Park until Ian Barker, the group’s lead singer was arrested by the NT Police during the fracas that occurred when Police moved to arrest NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff and PARIAH Coordinator Mick Lambe in the opening minutes of the event.

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff said that the “Smoke-up for Human Rights” would go ahead despite the communities fears that attendees may be attacked again by the Northern Territory Police. He said “NAP members hope that the members of the NT Police Service will behave themselves on June 8. We are particularly concerned about the presence of armed police at peaceful protests. We need an assurance from the NT Police that their members will not wear their automatic pistols to the event.”

“Smoke-up for Human Rights” will be a monthly event aimed at building the movement against the Martin government’s “drug house” and “asset confiscation” legislation and the “war on drugs” in general.

Mr Meyerhoff said “Coming together to smoke Cannabis is an act of peaceful civil disobedience. Current drug laws are bad laws and they should be disobeyed and resisted. Smokers and non-smoking supporters will be in solidarity with the groups who are having their human rights violated, including drug users, the “longgrass” community, refugees and young people.

“Smoke-up for Human Rights” will also feature a Barbecue, face-painting and other activities for the children and adults and a 1.2 metre V8 Superjoint. NAP members have pledged to increase the size of the V8 Superjoint by 20cm each month. Darwin stands to become the intellectual capital of world joint rolling.

NAP and PARIAH Coordinators Mr Meyerhoff and Mr Lambe agreed, “We both hope we get a toke this time.”

For further info contact Gary on 8942 0570 or 0415 16 2525 or Email napnt@yahoo.com

Visit our website http://napnt.tripod.com or PARIAH’s website www.country-liberal-party.com

NAP declares Peter Toyne is guilty of Human Rights abuses

Members of the Network Against Prohibition have vowed to continue their fight against the Police State in the Northern Territory of Australia. This comes after an editorial in the Sunday Territorian (12th May) by the Justice Minister of the NT, Mr Peter Toyne where he declared that he had a mandate to be “Tough on Drugs.”

Since the NT Labor Government was elected in August last year, they have stripped away services for dependent drug users and have adopted a zero tolerance approach to drug use within the Territory community.

Examples of this include:

The closure of the methadone reduction program, with dependent opiate users forced to use a new unproven drug Buprenorphine,

The closure of the Residential detox unit, meaning that there is no residential detox facility in the Top End of the Northern Territory,

Threatened GPs who are treating their patients the same as they would in any other State or Territory in Australia. The NT is the only place where GPs are not allowed to treat opiate dependent people with opiate based drugs, and

Launched a paramilitary taskforce to harass and intimidate drug users with personal amounts of drugs.

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff said “clearly these are human rights abuses. Somebody needs to step in here and force the NT Government to change their approach. It looks like we (NAP) will have to do it in the streets.”

“The level of support we have received from the local community clearly indicates that NAP has a mandate to continue, and to escalate, our campaign for Human Rights for all Territorians.”

NAP will be holding the second Community smoke-in in Raintree Park on Saturday, June the 8th at 12 noon. Featuring bands (Father, Mother, Child & Freedom), kid’s activities, tucker, smoko, politics and a 1.2 metre joint. These events will now be monthly and the joint will increase in size by 20cm each month.

The event, called “Smoke-Up for Human Rights” will focus on some of the many human rights abuses in the Territory that continue under the Labor government. For example the treatment of “Longgrassers.” There will be stalls from a range of human rights groups from the NT.

For further info, call Gary on 8942 0570 or mobile 0415 16 2525 or checkout http://napnt.tripod.com

Darwin community set to protest against the Police State

A large crowd is expected to gather outside the NT Parliament House in Australia today to protest against what they see as a Police State in the Northern Territory.

The demonstration has been organised by the Network Against Prohibition, a group of drug user activists and human rights activists who have come together to fight racism and oppression in Australia’s Northern Territory.

It will follow a roller-coaster of events for members and supporters of the Network Against Prohibition. In the 2 months since the Network was established, 11 people have been arrested by Police during peaceful protests.

The demonstration has been called to protest against the drug house legislation proposed by the NT Labor government. NAP activists have declared the “drug house” legislation as draconian and an attack on human rights.

The proposed legislation gives police the right to enter a property that has been declared a “drug house” as often as they like. People present at the “drug house” can be banned by Police and if they return they may face a prison sentence. This part of the legislation will be equally applied to people who live in the “drug house.”

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff said “the NT Police already have too many powers.” He described the proposed laws as racially motivated. The laws would be used against the indigenous community to further silence, marginalise and isolate them.

NAP has called on Darwin community members to join them in their struggle for human rights in the Territory. “We need heaps of people who are willing to come out into the streets and fight for their rights and who aren’t scared of being thrown in the back of the dibbie van.”

“We can live in a world without drugs, although that would be impossible to achieve, but we cannot tolerate living in a world without human rights.”

“The war on drugs is just another cover for the ongoing deterioration of our civil liberties. The war on drugs and the war on terrorism have been tarred with the same brush.”

The “drug house” legislation is being legislated at the same time that the ASIO laws are gliding through the Federal parliament.

NAP has joined forces with the Longgrass Association and People Against Racism in Aboriginal Homelands for the demonstration. Protesters will meet outside the Darwin City Council at 8.30am and will march to the NT Parliament house at 12 noon.

For further info or to arrange an interview contact Gary or Scott on 0415 16 2525.

http://napnt.tripod.com

People's embassy removed by NT Police

At around a quarter to six Darwin time on May 2, 2002, the Acting Speaker of the NT Legislative Assembly, Gerry Wood MLA approached NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff with a letter (typed up that day at Parliament house) advising that in accordance with the Legislative Assembly Security Act, we were unlawfully camped in the Parliamentary precinct.

Having received permission from June Mills -- a Larrakia elder -- the members of the People's Embassy decided to contact her before making a decision about moving the Embassy. Around 45 minutes later, and before June Mills could arrive, Superintendent Bob Rennie arrived with 15 police officers armed with automatic glock pistols.

Two NAP activists chained themselves to a flag pole at Parliament in protest against this attack on our right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

The Police arrested 4 members of the People's Embassy, displaying some of the brutality that human rights activists in the Northern Territory have come to expect.

Police wrenched down the White Flag of truce despite NAP calling for a week long truce with the NT establishment.

*Later on, at the watchhouse, Police Officers taunted Gary Meyerhoff saying that he would need to watch out when the new ASIO laws were passed.