What can a Citizen Do when the State Declares War on its Citizens? : Melbourne Indymedia

A few weeks ago the Federal government and every State and Territory government in Australia declared war on its citizens by removing fundamental rights, privileges and checks and balances that have protected Australian citizens from arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and interrogation. Many Australians have been surprised by the extent of these laws, wrongly believing that the Australian Constitution protects them from the arbitrary exercise of State power.

The proposed laws that will be passed through parliament in the next few months are primarily designed to be used to stifle dissent, not fight terrorism. Laws that will jail people for up to 7 years for promoting feelings of 'ill will' or 'hostility' between different groups that 'would threaten peace', are designed to stop protests against the government's Industrial Relations (IR) laws, not protect Australians against terrorist attacks.

The greatest threat faced by a citizen is the threat posed by a government that can use all the power at its disposal to implement its ideological agenda. The Stalins, Hitlers and Pol Pots of the world were able to murder millions of their citizens because they were able to exercise unbridled State power. Paradoxically, the laws that will soon be introduced pose a greater security threat to the individual and the community than any terrorist threat could ever pose. In such circumstances, citizens must act to protect themselves against attacks from government.

People for Constitutional Human Rights was formed to resist the government's attempts to strip away rights and liberties Australians have enjoyed for generations. We encourage individuals and groups around the country, to hold regular peaceful vigils outside Commonwealth parliamentary, judicial, enforcement and administrative offices around the country, to alert Australians to the dangers posed by a government that is able to exercise unlimited power and detain its citizens without charge or trial. We encourage individuals and groups to muster the courage, strength and will, to openly protest against these changes and promote the idea among Australians that they demand that their parliamentary representatives pressure the political parties they belong to, to adopt electoral policies that promote the idea that a referendum be held to give the Australian people the opportunity to incorporate a Bill of Rights in the Australian Constitution. Incorporating a Bill of Human Rights within the Australian Constitution will give Australians some protections against the arbitrary exercise of State power that they currently don't enjoy.

We encourage you to use any material available on our website. We encourage you to become involved in a campaign of peaceful vigils around the country. We encourage you to take this campaign directly to the Australian people. The thing governments fear most is not an internal or external terrorist threat but a forceful, peaceful mass movement that believes that ultimate political authority rests in the hands of the people, not the government of the day or the State.

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Meet members of People for Constitutional Human Rights at the following events and vigils. If you can't join us as you live in another part of the country, form your own group and commence to hold vigils outside Commonwealth
offices in your part of Australia. The more people who become involved in this movement the greater chance we have of forcing the government of the day to hold a referendum to include a Bill of Rights in the Australian Constitution.

* DEMONSTRATIONS FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES *
Rally on the steps of PARLIAMENT HOUSE, (Spring Street, Melbourne)
Saturday 1.00pm - October 22nd 2005
Rally endorsed by: People for Civil Liberties
They lied to us about `Weapons of Mass Destruction',
they lied to us about `Children Overboard' and now
they want us to trust them when they say these new laws
are for our own safety!!
SAY NO TO TERROR - SAY NO TO WAR - SAY NO TO TYRANNY

* Corner Swanston Street & Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne *
Wednesday 11.30am - 26th October 2005

* HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA - Melbourne Office *
Wednesday 11.30am - 2nd November 2005
Cnr La Trobe Street and William Street, Melbourne

* AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS *
Wednesday 11.30am - 9th November 2005
383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne

* FEDERATION SQUARE - Melbourne *
Wednesday 11.30am - 16th November 2005
Cnr Flinders Street & St.Kilda Road, Melbourne

What can a Citizen Do when the State Declares War on its Citizens?

Do exactly what you did yesterday.

Bring your concerns to the atention of your fellow citizens.

Then if enough of them agree with you, you will collectively vote them out at the next election.

The most powerful and clarion clear message available.

But if most people don't agree with you, regarding you as slightly whacky, self-centred tossers, and return the Government, you must accept the verdict, shut up and behave yourself.

Decency demands it.

I hope this answers your question.

All the best.

Some of my BEST friends are self-centred tossers!

Throwing shoes.

So far I count 9 pairs in my suburb alone, of which, just two were thrown by my son, who is quite good at it and far too young to raise his concerns any higher in this lucky country.
My own throwing arm has made a token effort, a pair of footy boots, but there are fellow jungle brothers and sisters out there as other suburbs are getting the silent demonstration treatment, local free delivered advertorials report that its drug dealers

The detamperers who have removed some over the month make regular cherry picking sorties into suburbia to keep the lines of communication clear while neighbours look skywards and wonder what is happening but know what ever it is catching on.

For those with an artistic bent anything can be thrown, underwear maybe or a cut outs of your own making, maybe masonite bombs in a dropping formation attached to cords designed to hang like a scary icon of war. Maybe dismembered dolls with blood and gore.

But shoes will do, from $2 available at the opshop no excuse.

Non Violent, unconnected with any activist group, unstoppable, fucking perfect!

That’s what you do

Personally I say
prepare for war.

There is no contradiction in saying

I am loyal to Australia and would fight to the death to defend friends, family, and this country

AND

I am an enemy of the Australian Government, and of the government and military of the United States, and will fight to see both of these defeated where the opportunity and sufficient grievance arises. Violent resistance is legitimate for those who have been the targets of violence.

For those of us who don't feel democracy is functioning in Australia, support for the people and the country is entirely distinct from any feelings about an illegitimate Government which itself demonstrates no respect for legitimacy.

Given the current global and local environment, I would suggest learning how to take care of oneself in military or combat situations is simply long-term pragmatism. It could, after all happen to anyone, particularly anyone thinking of travelling overseas.

Military training would aid my 'alertness' and would seriously improve my capacity for helping defend Australia against attack from terrorists. It is not reasonable for the Government to threaten Australians that they will be imprisoned if they do not remain harmless to the Government.

I would train with the Australian Defence Force, but I don't want any relationship with a military force that casually kills innocent people and engages in wars for profit and political advantage. I want to fight against terrorists, not with them and for them.

So alternatives must be sought for military training.

"...but I don't want any relationship with a military force that casually kills innocent people and engages in wars for profit and political advantage. "

Woudl you just do it for good ol' fashioned fun?!

Use a NUke against those who Nuke.

Use a bullet against a gun.

Eat to slim and to remain hungry

Drink to remain sober.

Build a shelter and sleep in the rain.

fuck for viginity.

write your thoughts here to reflect stupidity.

<But if most people don't agree with you, regarding you as slightly whacky, self-centred tossers, and return the Government, you must accept the verdict, shut up and behave yourself. >

You could take into account that the government (Autralian, US, UK ) doensn't shut up, but at taxpayer expense beams an never ending stream of propaganda through state-corporate controlled media. I understand why Australia would have sought to rid itself of Rupert Murdoch, but why did you have to send him to the US? Hie ownes most of the media there now and it all pays constant lip service to Bush and people with weak minds and weak willst take that trash to be what other people actually think. The media here in Australia appears to be much the same, although still stuggling for journalistic professionalism in a few cases. In this kind of environment, I hope you will forgive those who see their traditional common law rights being ripped away in the fact of raging authoritarianism. and seek to gently remind their fellow citizens, or citizens of the world, that human beings have rights or they cease to be human beings. Australia is a wonderful country. The first time I met an Australian in the US I was dumbstruck that such unspoilt people still existed. In a sense, this innocence and, sorry to say, naivete, can be used against the Australian people. People who have a wonderfullly relaxed lifestleare reluctant to leave their comfort zone. But it is time to take a sniff and understand what is coming your way. Australia won't be the wonderful country it is when their is a chill in the air, when you must speak in hushed tones, and when you no longer want to know youir neighbor so you won't be distressed when they are bundled off into the night. Australia won't be the same if this act comes into law. And "susnse" clauses are a farce. It Australia lacks the political will to reject these laws now, they will not have even that much political will after the laws are passed. No one here wants Australia harmed. The question is, what is the real threat and what can protect it? If you don't believe me, do the research yourself.

You hit the nail on the head when you said that people don't like to leave their comfort zone. When they enforce the law to take over the state for 28 days, only then will these sleepers wake up that they allowed this to happen.

Have you ever wondered what people were feeling in Germany when the Nazis took over?

I think I can identify.

"What the hell can I do?"

The answer is pretty simple. Either give up on your hopes of kids and a nice life, or grab a fucking pitchfork.

We are the villagers. We are the last thing standing between a possible future and the probable future. Voting is a sham, as is the democratic process in this cuntry (yeah, on purpose)

A thin veneer of Disney-esque insincerity people use as they smile while lying about motives.

I feel like Yossarian.

Planes are a bit hard to get these days, but we can take up our respective pitchforks.

Remember, we are the makers of our own reality. If nothing, we are the manufacturers, the servicers, the drivers of taxis.

That is where we can still vote effectively.

(The first rule of terror laws is you do not talk about terror laws. the second rule of terror laws...)

bill of rights
by susan charles rankin Saturday January 21, 2006 at 03:05 AM
kulin nation country-melbourne

As an indigenous human rights activist for my people,it has come to my awareness that there is in fact already a bill of rights that has been floating around in the senate since 1998 and then retabled again in 1999,2001, 2002, 2003,just waiting to be passed in the senate.
THIS IS SERIOUS AND IT IS URGENT THAT PEOPLE CHECK OUT THIS BILL OF RIGHTS THEMSELVES.
TWO VERY IMPORTANT FACTORS OF THIS BILL OF RIGHTS SAYS THAT THE CROWN CANNOT BE CHARGED OR HELD LIABLE FOR ANY CRIMINAL OFFENCE. SO NO ONE CAN CHARGE THE CROWN FOR ANY CRIME THAT THE CROWN MIGHT COMMIT AGAINST PEOPLE.
AND THAT NO INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANISATION CAN CHARGE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANISATION FOR ANY CRIMINAL OFFENCE,SO WE CAN BE BEATEN UP HAVE OUR HOMES INVADED WHAT EVER WHAT EVER,AND WE AS A PERSON WONT BE ABLE TO CHARGE ANY ONE FOR THE CRIME,ONLY THE CROWN CAN OR THE POLICE,
SO DO YOU LIKE YOUR CHANCES ESPECIALLY IF THEY DONT LIKE US.

If people want to get a perspective on the current situation I would highly reccomend reading Christian Parenti's book "Lockdown America". While this was published in 1999 (before the WTC bombings), it really helps to put the Terror War in context. He makes a very good argument that the Law-and-Order stuff in the US, including the Drug War was a response to the growing social and ecconomic crisis beginning in the 60's. Some of the language and laws brought in response to the rebellion of the 60's and later on during the height of the Drug War are really spookily similar to those being brought in now as part of the Terror War.

Plus, he has lots of cool stuff in there like this:

"The crisis had two primary fault lines: race and war... In Detroit, African American snipers were joined by transplanted urban "hillbillies"."

"1. In Detroit half the apprehended snipers were poor white "hillbilly" transplants from Kentucky, Tenessee, and Southern Ohio."

PS. Reading about that is making me even more frustrated with the usual end/beginning of year lull... I mean come on! We're heading towards fascism and everyone takes an extra-long xmass break! We have no time for Santa goddamit! Where is everyone?

PSS. Susan... Can you provide a link to that Bill of Rights?

the link to find out further information on te commonwealth bill of rights is through the government libary link,maybe type in government libary .org or .net.
sorry its taken me so long to get back to you.