Beat Up but Upbeat - Reflections on S11 Settlement! : Melbourne Indymedia

Beat Up but Upbeat: Cops Pay Out on Assault at World Economic Forum, Melbourne 2000

At 1am this morning I was called by an Australian journalist to comment on mainstream media reporting a payout from the Victorian government to some of us assaulted at the World Economic Forum 2000 in Melbourne.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,21322057-661,....html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,2132....html

Reports refer to me as a "serial protestor" - even tho' I don't lobby, protest, sign petitions,vote - I get to be the "Ted Bundy of Blockading" out of some obssessive compulsive disorder. It is sad that the very basics of citizenship are so unused in Australia that behavior that transcends consumerism needs some psychobabble explanation in search for possible motivation!

The reports place me in the wrong place at the wrong time for when the police bashed me. I assured the journalist whatever financial payout the Victorian state gives me will go to funding further nonviolent resistance to war and transnational theft! See you at Operation Talisman Sabre 07, Central Queensland!

I guess it is along way for Steve Bracks from offering the police who bashed us a day off with full pay and a Bar B Q! So a symbolic recognition, a small victory to go with all our glotious defeats.

The S11 manifestation restored my faith in Australian youth. The courage and nonviolent discipline on display was all the more impressive when you realise that the church & trade union bureaucrats, Labor Party and securtiy services were gathered with unlimited resources to isolate and defeat us.

The political organising around the blockade left a lot to be desired, with authoritarian left groups and moderate NGO's competing as usual for leadership rather than putting their energies into practical support for those who were going to being arrested or hospitalised in accepting their invitation to blockade WEF. This had been a problem at the Jabiluka Blockade '98 where green and indigeneous bureaucrats and abandoned the rank and file (cannon fodder) to the courts in Darwin. It was an issue we addressed from the outset at Operation Talisman Sabre 05. At S11 our small affinity group took the intiative and raised a couple of grand for Damien Settle who had lost 5 teeth in a seperate incident. So the lack of grassroots follow up to State attacks pretty much left the Slater and Gordon option as the only one available for those of us who wish to hold the government and polic force to account. It was better than nothing and required little effort on my part. If folks are serious about nonviolent direct action they need to set up the infrastructure to support those who step forward and take the risk in confronting power. The more solidarity with these folks, the easier their resistance experience of arrest/assault or jail will be. Groups should stop using the possibility of direct action to attract media if they have no intention of supporting the casualties of the invitations they have extended.

I ws saying to this journalist that I grew up under Bjelke Petersen and the police violence we experienced from a Brack's led police effortwas a lot worse than we experienced from Joh in the '70's. The militarisation of police tactics in relation to political dissent in Australia should be a concern for all democrats.

The tone of the mainstream media articles on the settlement and the many comments on the website display a contempt for democratic feedoms and practise. We live in scary times Free Speech -Use It oe Lose It?

This is part of a report I wrote at the time of the incident (Sept 11th. 2000) where 450 riot police attacked 40 seated activists on the Tueday morning..............

At 7 a.m. on the Tuesday we joined 30 folks already in a sitting blockade position at that gate. These included two Green Members of Parliament from New Zealand. We had a very nonviolent vibe, plenty of singing, no verbal abuse etc. Fifteen minutes in, the riot squad armed with batons, ran out of the casino and assembled behind police ranks. Riot police [ombudsman's report later said 450 police] than ran into, over and through our block, many stopping to kick people in the face and groin with their heavy boots, many wielding batons as they went. I was struck in the head several times by batons and kicked in the face. We kept omming. Some folks were screaming in pain. One Lismore woman had her arm broken, one Melbourne man his wrist broken, an Irish guy scored a broken nose. There were head wounds, broken ribs, concussions, loss of blood, pissing blood and glasses smashed. On reflection we felt sitting made our block more resolute and less vulnerable to limb and facial injuries. Membership of an affinity group was a decisive factor in this act of resistance being an empowering rather than a demoralising experience.

Groups of riot police then began snatching people off the blockade. Four police grabbed me by my dreads, legs & arms and dragged me 40 metres on the bitumen away from the rest of the crowd. I was isolated on the far side of the tight riot squad formation that was claiming the intersection in preparation for rapid entry of delegate buses. The police then batoned me around the body and the head, throughout this experience I asked "Have I done anything illegal?", "Am I being charged?" They continued the bashing without any verbal response. They left me in a heap and retreated behind the shoulder to shoulder, batons extended riot formation. The buses were speeding into the casino through a gap in the formation using the far lane. I jumped up and ran across the road managing to take a standing star position in front of the last bus, which screeched to a halt in front of me. I was then jumped by four riot police who batoned me on the road and then dragged me onto the sidewalk against the wall and bashed me again. Interrupted by an ABC film crew they retreated behind the riot formation that had secured the intersection.

I collected myself. I walked up to a metre from the riot formation gave my captive audience a talk on the corrupt institution and wholesale theft they were defending, the conspiracy against the poor that is the WEF and the casino's role of laundering profits from the heroin trade. I told them history belonged to those who can endure not to those who can inflict, unfurled a banner in front of them and sat on the road in prayer.

Full report http://www.takver.com/history/s11.htm#ciaron

The following report is also worth a look, by the former Victorian Historian, Dr Bernard Barrett, 'Beating Up: A Report on Police Batons and the News Media at the World Economic Forum':
http://www.australianpolitics.com/pg/groups/barrett-s11...shtml

The pdf of The Ombudsman's report can be found by typing "Investigation of Police action at the World Economic Forum demonstrations September 2000" into google.

To read about what the police did to us on the Tuesday morning start reading at page 98.

from p 125:
"My assessment of the video and medical evidence suggests that by far the majority of damage and injury was caused by the movement of police through the seated protesters rather than by a direct and deliberate application of force in the form of baton strikes, baton jabs, punches and the like directed at protesters, although there were examples of the latter to which I have referred above. I understand, of course, that this will be a distinction of little interest to those people who were seated in Queensbridge Street, particularly those who were injured. It may also be a distinction of little interest to a court determining civil claims against police."

"As I have said above, there is video footage showing questionable acts by some police as they moved through the protesters and as they removed them from the intersection. These include what appear to be some examples of baton strikes, deliberate stomping of protesters, kicking of protesters and the dragging of protesters by their hair. "

The Obudsman clears the police of misconduct, saying it was all a mistake, the police did not know we were sitting, and pretty much blames us, saying that if we had been standing instead of sitting we would have been alright as the police charged through us.

He says the police based their actions on the previous day when people stood - yet, we sat the entire previous day!

He says that the police did not know we were sitting as the police logs show no reports of what was going on at the Queensbridge/Power St intersection. Yet he fails to realize that this is the same intersection as Queensbridge/Whiteman (Power is the continuation of Whiteman) where the police report says: "50 protestors sitting in rows." p 122.
Related Link: http://www.takver.com/history/s11.htm#ciaron

Here are the links for the article:

http://www.australianpolitics.com/pg/groups/barrett-s11-report-2000.shtml

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,21322057-661,00.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21322055-5006785,00.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/comedian-objects-to-brutal-police/2007/03/04/1172943276248.html

http://www.takver.com/history/s11.htm#ciaron

The sight of Brakkks bullies in action reminded me of the ' health lines' reported from red fascist Poland during the Solidnardosc era.
Brutal Leninist pigs lined up viciously clubbing poor peaceful people down a gauntlet line. The filthy pigs called these ' health lines'.

Fuck the Leninist bully Jeff Braxs.

Fuck his Leninist right faction.

And fuck his Leninist bum buddy Paul Mullet.

They can all get royally fucked.

Great article and response Ciaran.

Also a useful reference re S11 is the Pt'chang Legal Observer Team Report available at: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ptchang/downloads/s11_legal_observer_report.pdf

and as usual - http://www.activistrights.org.au which has case study of activist legal support processes form S11 and in other countries.

For some reason the right wing press in Melbourne have chosen me as the poster boy for thepost S11 settlement lynch mob. In todays printed edition of the Sun Herald. My photograph is placed next to the one of the injured police officer featured on the following web version of the article......
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21331564....html

The article once again refers to me as a "serial protester", it must have been a newspeak toss up between this term and "prosterphile" for the max effect! The article is once again inaccurate in its detail. I was batoned numerous time in three different locations in the space of 10 minutes not "three times in 10 minutes". I did not "mock the Victorian police", I criticised the Labor Party Bracks government and reassured them that their use of violence against me on Sept 12th. 2000 has not diminished my commitment to struggle for peace and justice through nonviolent resistance. In terms of the "charging of police" this was in specific reference to the police officers who ran over a woman activist and then left the scene of their "accident". I had told the journalist that having experienced prison I didn't think it was place for anyone even the police who assaulted me. Ideally, I would prefer some restorative justice process with the police officers who brutalised myself and others.

I did not witness any police officers being assaulted or injured. As stated before it was a decentralised blockade with about 6-8 entry points and the one we were running had a "sit don't stand, sing don't chant and ommm don't verbally abuse" policy we also decamped at nightfall.I can safely say no officers were assaulted or injured at our gate during the day. It did not happen. It's interesting that they chose this gate to unleash the most cordinated police violence of the 3 days.

My advice to the Victorian Police is to clarify where they stand on democratic principles of free expression, due process and then refuse to carry out orders that brutalise the community they are supposed to be serving.

The events discussed happened a year to the day before S11 NYC attacks....so much has changed for the worse since that date - in terms of the loss of civil liberties and the retreat of folks from their citizenship. As an unpopular war escalates and expands there is little sign of resistance to it. For those of us who continue to resist we face the cyncism, demonisation and attempts to marginalis as expressed in this Sun Herald article.

Peter Mickelburough, Carly Crawford and Paul Anderson

March 06, 2007 12:00am

THE Bracks Government is facing a fresh political storm after approving payouts to wild protesters while dozens of police officers battle for help after being hurt in the line of duty.

As S11 protesters rejoice in a $700,000 jackpot, 29 police caught in a legal loophole have been left to languish.

Sgt Geoff Nash is waiting for payment for pain and suffering after he was savagely beaten by five men in central Melbourne in 1999.

But protesters, including serial activists Ciaron O'Reilly and Rod Quantock, will pocket secret cash payments over riots outside the World Economic Forum outside Crown Casino in 2000.

Sgt Nash said the S11 payments were just another punch in the guts from police command.

"I don't expect anything different from them," he said.

"They expect us to confront all manner of radical elements and when problems occur they tend to look after the protagonists and ignore what has happened to their own employees."

Sgt Nash said he had not been offered a cent despite a promise by Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon that he and other seriously injured officers would be looked after.

"All they want to do is get out of it as cheaply as they can," he said.

Sgt Nash, who suffers headaches and blurred vision after his nose and teeth were broken, is seeking about $50,000.

A shock 30-second video highlighting the plight of the injured officers was emailed to Victoria's 11,000 police last night in the first campaign of its kind in Australia.

The launch of the Police Association video was brought forward after the S11 payments were revealed by the Sunday Herald Sun.

"Heroes should never be forgotten. Or ignored," the video says. "They deserve a fair go. To be respected. To be treated like heroes. Christine Nixon don't forget us."

Ciaron O'Reilly, who will collect about $2000 for his part in the S11 riot, yesterday mocked Victoria Police.

He plans to use the payout to demonstrate against a joint US-Australia military exercise in Rockhampton in May.

Mr O'Reilly was once jailed for damaging a B-52 bomber in New York.

But he blamed police for the S11 trouble, claiming he was hit with police batons three times in 10 minutes.

"It would have been good to get them charged. (The money) is better than nothing, but not ideal."

Police Minister Bob Cameron said the S11 deal was based on advice from the state insurer.

But Opposition police spokesman Andrew McIntosh accused the Bracks Government of looking after Slater and Gordon, which had given $88,000 to the ALP since 1999.

Under the S11 deal, the legal firm will get up to $600,000 in legal costs while protesters will share the rest.

Police Association secretary Sen-Sgt Paul Mullett said the community would rightly be outraged that money went to S11 protesters while police heroes continued to wait for compensation.

But a police spokesman said the two issues were completely separate.

The officers seeking compensation were all injured after the Kennett government removed workers' rights to sue an employer for work-related injuries in 1997 and before the Bracks Government restored the right in 1999.

Former top riot cop Jeff Mawkes said he had predicted the Government would "roll over" on payments to the S11 protesters, as it did after the 1993 Richmond Secondary School protest.

"After Richmond they said it's going to cost $4 million to defend it so you're better off paying them $10,000 a head."

Mr Mawkes, a force response unit inspector who quit the force last year, said protesters were happy to goad and assault police for a "tap with the baton", knowing they would win a payout through group legal action.

I didn't see any "police heroes" during September 11-13, 2000.

I did see friends and associates trampled and bashed by people in uniforms resembling those worn by Victoria Police. I can only assume these uniforms had been borrowed for the day?

Great article by the Herald Sun, pointing out an incident from 1999 related to the denial of workers' basic rights though. If only they saw the correlation for what it really was.

To any police monitoring this site, I only ask you, in future, to value your conscience above the cop-out (forgive the pun) of "just doing your job" - and to recognise that people's health is more important than allowing ANY business meeting to occur.

In generations to come, when these business elite are recognised for what they were - at best misguided, at worst cynically trashing the world for profit - the crow call of "i was just doing my job" will be of little comfort to those who are left with the consequences of your members defending the ongoing violence done by those rich few to the rest of us on earth.

Think for yourselves. Don't blame the dissident for feeling the pain you deny.

Photos and Article Scans available at: http://indymedia.ie/article/81331 (as well as other interesting and inciteful commentary, or not)

big time win
by for Ambulance Chaser & Gordon Wednesday March 07, 2007 at 07:47 AM

Well it's good to see another big time win for Ambulance Chaser & Gordon. Volunters do the ground work, Police Ethical Statndards section and Ombudsmans office do the investigation and obtain the evidence which is given to Ambulance Chaser & Gordon who slip in and pocket $600,000. 'No Cops charged, no day in court for the injured. Of those who recieve their paltry pay out, most I imagine will piss it up against the wall.

Yes, a very succesful result indeed...............

Inre Jeff Bracks' celebratory BBQ for brave-police-who-terrorised-teenagers-at-S11:

This was cancelled, but Williamstown ALP *did* organise another BBQ in subsequent wks... while a small number of crazed @s happened to be playing footy nearby.

Fancy.

And while their children clearly wanted to enjoy a bit of kick-to-kick with the assembled terrorists (the @s -- not the ALP hacks), their mums 'n' dads stopped 'em... MB knows more I thunk.

(Another close escape, eh?)

Ciaron
by Hitching a Ride on the Slater & Gordon Road T Wednesday March 07, 2007 at 07:15 PM

Cynicism remains the 5th. column of theestablishment. It's lazy and prejudical and shouldn't be confused with insight and wisdom. For reflection on limitations of hitching aride on the Slater and Gordon road train. Go to this link.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81331?author_name=Ciaron&comment_limit=0&condense_comments=false#comment185686

Thanks for reflections CO'R, you're the only thinging keeping Jesus credible in my book. Money will be nice for the subset of those affected who get it, might even pay for repairs (only 5 1/2 yrs later!), but criminal assault charges against the thugs who planned and executed the Tues a.m. charge (the one i Know happened just as COR writes) would have been better. Be sure News Corp's A.Dolt and co. will regurgitate their bile over this for years to come, but who can be surprised by what they say. The coming Royal Commission into Mullet's foetid fiefdom should trim the Herald Suns wings too.