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Tasmania- right to protest under threat

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Tasmania- proposed legislative changes. Read 'em and weep

http://www.bikeme.tv/index.php/wanna-protest-tasmania-dont/

Great article, expressly directed at motorcycle protests, but applies to everyone.

Excerpt from the article:

Firstly, the laws apply to any protest action, in which the protester prevents access to, or obstructs, or hinders a business in any way, even if the protest action is on public land, like a footpath or roadway. The definition of ‘business’ is incredibly broad. A protester is anyone who is engaging or participating in protest activity in furtherance of, or raising awareness of, an ‘opinion, or belief, in respect of a political, environmental, social, cultural or economic issue’. Obviously the list of beliefs and opinions of which you can peacefully protest has been severely curtailed.

Why should motorcyclists care about this?

Most rallies or protest rides organised by and attended by motorcyclists consist of a ride to a location where speeches and other protesty things take place.

Under the proposed laws, if a convoy of motorcyclists, on their protest ride, hinder a taxi, delivery driver, truckie or some other such person lawfully going about their business activities, it will be an offence.

Now the law requires that the protester must know their actions will prevent access to, hinder or obstruct. However if just fifty motorcyclists form a convoy through a city, it would be hard to argue they did not know their actions may hinder or obstruct other people going about their business activities. Even more so if the action has been labelled a ‘block the bridge’ type event.

Understandably the taxi driver, delivery man or truckie might be annoyed and temporarily inconvenienced by your protest ride, but they do not have to suffer any economic loss for the laws to apply.

And now comes the reality check.

For a first offence, the police can give you an on-the-spot $2000 fine. They can also order that you do not return to the location within four days. If you do, it’s another fine. Or you can be arrested and charged and face court, in which case, the fine is a minimum of $5000. If found guilty, the conviction must be recorded.

For a second offence, you will go to jail. There is no other option. The judge must sentence you to a minimum of three months in jail, with a maximum of two years.

You may not be overly concerned at this point. You may be willing to cop a fine, even if it is grossly excessive, for the privilege of exercising your democratic right to peaceful protest.

But if the taxi driver and truck driver both report you at the same time, that constitutes two offences.

And you will go to jail.

_________________________________________________

BikeMe is great for staying up to date with legislative changes which potentially effect us *all*- motorcyclists, and people whom for some strange reason don't ride motorcycles at all.

The commentaries on the legislative changes are thorough, researched and IMO balanced.

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Firstly, the laws apply to any protest action, in which the protester prevents access to, or obstructs, or hinders a business in any way, even if the protest action is on public land, like a footpath or roadway. The definition of ‘business’ is incredibly broad. A protester is anyone who is engaging or participating in protest activity in furtherance of, or raising awareness of, an ‘opinion, or belief, in respect of a political, environmental, social, cultural or economic issue’. Obviously the list of beliefs and opinions of which you can peacefully protest has been severely curtailed.

Its been touted here in terms of stopping those "damn hippies" protesting against logging. and been sold, i believe successfully to the logging community who think its great. but i dont think they have thought it through, and realise the full consequences.

Its interesting to read this from the motorcycle perspective.

the thing about it is how open this is to abuse by politics. seriously scary.

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the thing about it is how open this is to abuse by politics. seriously scary.

You said it obtuse, the potential for abuse is far reaching and definitely scary. Arent these pretty much the exact same laws that passed in Vic not too long ago?

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the thing about it is how open this is to abuse by politics. seriously scary.

You said it obtuse, the potential for abuse is far reaching and definitely scary. Arent these pretty much the exact same laws that passed in Vic not too long ago?

pretty much, and in vic it was to stop things like the tecoma mcdonalds protest and the east-west link pickets,

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As Obtuse put it - it was sold to block forest and also mining protests, but I think its also a pre-emptive

strike on the shit that will fly if the Gunns pulp mill permits get sold and some donkey thinks they can make money out of the dead horse.

A lawyer I had a chat with reckons there is even the potential for consumer rights to be weakened as you

will need to be careful if challenging a business about a faulty good or poor/overpriced service.....

Like all legal shit...it all comes down to interpretation, arguement and the beaker listening to the white noise.

Its fckd, stupid and makes me hate bigoted liberals even more

Edited by waterboy

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but i dont think they have thought it through, and realise the full consequences.

That's a real charitable perspective you've got there.

A cynical bastard like me might think that they had thought it through...

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^ I agree, and for a reasonable time at that.

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my inference was that the loggers hadn't thought it through.

The government have, and rubbing their hands together in glee about how clever they are.

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is it just me or do others feel like things are getting out of hand, seem to hear about freedoms being attacked on a regular basis of late. Is it ramping up?

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hey they also just decided to put some funds into a "public order response team" in the State budget......

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i don't think the erosion of freedoms (sic) is a new thing,

what the state giveth, the state can taketh away

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