Memo to Police

"I was only following orders" -the Nuremberg defence- was ruled No Defence at the Nuremberg Trials and it is no defence today.
Police officers globally should consider whether following their superiors orders are legal and ethical . If you do not consider those orders ethical or legal your duty is to disobey.
Police Brutality in NSW is a growing community concern. Uncharged cops have got off scot free even on the taser killing of Brazilian student Robert Curti

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch is gaining an unenviable reputation for being Commander Johnny on the spot in incidents where there is excessive police violence. Yes, he was officer in charge of Policing the 2013 Sydney Mardi Gras. Aside from the infamous bashing of the teenager which has gone viral, we have been made aware of several other incidents of police thuggery. One deaf person unceremoniously smashed into a pole. He turned to see a row of smug cops smirking at him.Bystanders explained to his shocked friends that a cop had called in his direction prior to this incident.Several other incidents of blatant police thuggery reported give lie to the fast spreading public view that police are reverting to their old thugforce mindset. A police officer who participated in the policing of Mardi Gras 2013 privately expressed disquiet also saying that there was a strained relationship with the crowd compared to recent Mardi Gras.We hope that the problem is Who is in command rather than a wider systemic issue. Occupy Sydney call for an independent investigation of all Operations and Commands directed by Murdoch and his immediate  suspension from any frontline duties for the safety of the public and other police officers.
  On October 23 2011 at about 5-30am NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch lead over 100 Riot Cops in a premeditated attack on peacefully sleeping Occupy Sydney Protesters. Under his command and on his orders Riot and other police arrested many Occupiers for alleged infringement offences. These offences do not provide police with the option of arrest. Yet arrests occurred. What were Police orders? Why did they so blatantly disregard and exceed the laws they are paid to uphold? Why are many Occupiers still subject to bail today?

Sat May 12 : Stop Stateterrorism :RALLY Stop NSW Police Killing & Shooting & Terrorising non Anglos

 Occupy Sydney participants are supporting a call to Rally to Stop Police Brutality, Shootings , Taserings and Killings outside Kings Cross Police Station this Saturday at 2.30pm.
 Recent shootings of an aboriginal youth and young man by and the taser killing of a Brazilian man are just the latest in a long chain of NSW and Australian Police killings and shootings of an overwhelmingly   
  The overarching message NSW Governments of Labor and Liberal persuasion have delivered via Racist Police over many years is "the whiter you are, the righter you are". The message is ritually reinforced almost nightly with officers unconstrained by the parameters of legality nightly applying psychological terrorism as a weapon against youth particularly of Asian Polynesian Arabic appearance -or those who might come from modest economic backgrounds as defined by their appearance. These incidents are so common and widespread that they go largely unreported.


 Research of NSW Police taserings shootings and killings show that the victims are overwhelmingly non anglo.A high percentage had diagnosed mental health issues. Not One Police Oficer has been charged or convicted in relation to these incidents. In fact the liberal stress leave available to NSW police officers who kill is regarded by many as an incentive to kill, safe in the knowledge that "we look after our own" when investigations happen.


 The following is a Rally call from Indigenous Social Justice Action republished in full: (we suggest copying printing & circulating the following as an A5 flyer.)

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Stop Police Brutality

Stop Police Investigating Police

Ban The Tasers 

We Demand:

1. NSW Police be made answerable to the people by setting up Police Citizens Review Boards similar to those of the USA and some european countries. The members of those Boards to be voted on by the people of NSW.
2. For an independent Investigative Unit to be formed by properly qualified professionals who have no connection to any police member past or present.
3. Remove the Tasers from all Frontline Police.Full and open Public Inquiry to be held into their use and who should use them.
4. Review of the use of Glock handguns, requirements for in depth training, including psychiatric assessment of all officers, and finally who should be issued with such a deadly weapon.
5. We demand the full facts related to the Kings Cross shooting not just the government / police media "Facts". 

We will be holding another Rally on Saturday 12 May at 2.30pm outside Kings vross Police Station. JOIN US and support this campaign.

more information Ray Jackson 0450651063 or Raul Bassi 0403037376 

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Occupy Sydney :: Court Success

Occupy Sydney Stalwart Vicki has just had her conviction ( re Westpac Protest , trespass ) overturned and replaced with a section 10 ( no conviction recorded ) and good behaviour bond ... These charges are just some of a long list which NSW Police have maliciously used to impose punitive bail conditions on Occupy Sydney Protest Participants . Its an indictment on Australia's system that Protesters informing the public of the criminality of Bankers should face Courts and conviction while Banksters go unchallenged by a pro corporate anti people system. This is why we want change. Vicki self represented and gets huge kudos.

Another Police Raid on Occupy Sydney this Morning

  Occupy Sydney have called an emergency General Assembly outside the Downing Centre this morning following a dawn raid by NSW POLICE. A recent acquisition, an outsized box on wheels, has been declared property no grata and removed by occupiers from site. Police also removed property using a City of Sydney council truck to do so.
There were no arrests.
Complaints about the site are known to have been accumulating since last friday, when the current occupier group chose to relocate abandoning essential infrastructure (said to be have generated a council complaint). 
 All occupy supporters are urged to attend an emergency General Assembly at 9am at the Downing Centre (cnr Elizabeth & Liverpool Sts) immediately preceding Lilys Court case.

Occupy the Courts: Lilys Camping persecution :Charles Waterstreet Representing...

Lily Hatten challenges Police camping persecution in Court

   This should be fun!! NSW Police once again provide you the public and Occupy Sydney people with the rare opportunity to turn our often dour and staid Courts into a circus. The lucky presiding Judge is sure to be entertained as esteemed counsel and Occupy Sydney master of ceremonies for the day Charles Waterstreet applies his unique brand of witticism laced cutting edge legal knowledge to Lilys benefit and NSW Police's detriment. A loss in this case for Lily is highly improbable and we wish her well...


 the rest based on an email by Jacqui 


Lily Nancy Hatten is one of Occupy Sydney's youngest, and she has been one of the most enduring and inspiring presences at Martin Place since October last year. Hatten has her hearing for a 'staying overnight' charge from the Occupy Sydney big eviction on February 2. This is Occupy Sydney's first hearing on 'staying overnight' and thus it is a very important test case in the same vein as Lance Priestly's 'camping' case on January 10.

Hatten has secured pro-bono representation by high-profile barrister Charles Waterstreet - infamously known throughout Australia as the real life maverick lawyer and prankster identity behind the popular ABC TV series Rake. Waterstreet supports Occupy Sydney and has a special interest in women groups within the Occupy movement. Proceedings will start at 9.30am tomorrow at the Downing Centre, and it is predicted to be a very interesting, lively and possibly even entertaining hearing!

The Occupation

The Occupy Sydney Occupation in Martin Place has been continuous since October 15 2011. On 23 October the NSW Police, we believe illegally, used approximately 100 Riot cops to enforce a City ordinance (based on a wilful misinterpretation). Those events will be the subject of a High Court challenge beginning 7 March ( High Court, King St & Macquarie St).

The occupation was continued by Occupy stalwarts Bob Peter and supporters who maintained a presence despite extreme police presence, with up to 25 cops maintaining a twenty four hour watch on the area. On the 5th November a reoccupation Rally was attempted initially in Martin Place, then Hyde Park. Again the Riot squad were used to break up the reoccupation group. 

A Greens City Of Sydney councillor tabled a request on 7 November that Occupy Sydney be allocated a prominent Protest position somewhere in Sydney. A bloc of councillors led by Mayor Clover Moore voted against the proposal, offering instead that Occupy Sydney avail ourselves of the same processes which have consistently worn people down and been ineffective. An immediate autonomous reoccupation of the original Martin Place space by a small group followed. 

 From Nov 7 to December 21 the Occupation continued at the original site. A decision was  made by the occupiers to relocate a block west along Martin Place to our current location on the corner of Elizabeth St. near Channel 7. This decision was effected to allow a Jewish Festival  at our original location to proceed uninterrupted by our presence.


At all times the occupation has been mindful and respectful of the publics right to use space and we have wilfully located to offer minimal impact on the public thoroughfares and resources in the area. We have expanded and contracted the occupation to accommodate the numbers or lack thereof) at all given times.

   NSW Police have adopted what can only be described as a policy of applied State Terrorism carrying out numerous raids (up to four a day). We believe that their overarching objective was to drive fear of persecution into those who occupied and those who were considering supporting us. During many of these raids Police removed Occupy Sydney property. Much of that property has not been returned.Police have stated that they have declared much of the property rubbish and dumped it. Included in the items missing are many political posters and signs informing the public of NSW Police's excessive use of police powers and leveraging non existent laws. At no time have police issued receipts for the property taken.Nor have they quoted any legislative or regulatory breaches which they were enforcing. Proceedings are in progress in relation to these matters and we anticipate that charges will flow against individual police officers and their chain of command.

 The Occupy message has unfortunately been distorted and diluted by interaction with police. Much of our time has been spent defending our right to Protest and articulate peacefully, unfettered by the government whose inertia and collaboration with TransNationals is the problem that Occupy addresses.


   Occupy Sydney is NOT a protest movement in the sense that we don't pretend to have all of the answers. Occupy Sydney know that there are problems and that unless a discussion happens among the people in the peoples forum these problems will never be fixed. 


 The Occupation is a reminder to all that public space is the property of the public- not for the exclusive use of corporations to market their wares nor a mere thoroughfare between commercial centres.Public squares are where people should feel free to discuss - if these discussions are not held now we leave a legacy of less for our descendants because we will have permitted a greedy few to destroy more in the name of increasing their wealth. The Occupy Sydney Occupation is located in Martin Place because it is Australia's Wall St -the financial centre surrounded by the National & Transnational Retail and Merchant Banks who consider us mere commodities to be toyed with as a means of advancing their Greed driven interests.

 The Martin Place occupation is here and a canvas to accommodate your questions, facilitate your ideas. Bring them to our general assemblies, Mon & Wed 6-30pm Sat 5-30pm at the Martin Place occupation. Or join our working groups

Occupy Sydney respond to Faux News, NSW police beatup

1% er Rupert Murdochs Daily Telegraph again illustrates News Ltd / News Corps appalling lack of journalistic integrity with this http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/shops-pressure-police-to-evict-occupy-sydney-protesters-from-cbd/story-e6freuzi-1226271239083 uncorroborated regurgitation of what police have told them.  As with many stories told as news by Fox / News this piece belongs in the Disney library, or perhaps in some journalism course as an example of bad journalism.
  As is dangerously true of many of Australias narrowly held mainstream media outlets, the author has thrown the journalistic requisite of corroboration out the window preferring to simply regurgitate the police assertion.
   On January 10th the District Court famously dismissed (on the basis of "no case to answer" ) a charge of illegally camping & staying overnight against an occupy sydney participant. Police assertions were not upheld - because they got the law wrong. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO TAKE THE WORD OF POLICE OR THE SPIN FROM THE POLICE MEDIA UNIT AS TRUTH.
  The Telegraph writer did not seek a response from Occupy Sydney participants. Nor is there a single statement from local shop who are reportedly inundating police with complaints.

So again the Murdoch mainstream media act as the State lapdog, supporting politically motivated policing with the usual cocktail of lies halftruths and innuendoes...

Occupy Sydney Respond to Illegal Police Actions

 The Occupiers at Martin Place believe that NSW Police attempts to destabilise Occupy Sydney & supporters over the last two days has a twofold purpose. Police want to minimise Occupy Sydney 's ability to articulate our anti-Corporate Greed message to the patrons of The Sydney Festival .NSW Police also would like to shut Occupy Sydney down fearing that a Court case in 4 days time could clearly define legal issues,as sought by Occupy Sydney participants, and prevent Police abuse of law .

What Police have done:

• Seized Personal items without issuing receipts. 
• Seized A custom built kitchen trolley.We understand its been destroyed.
• Arbitrarily deemed seized property to be rubbish & destroyed it, despite being given owners details.
• Seized computers , banners, pamphlets & posters-most probably destroyed.
• Seized all supplies for making banners placards & protest information.
• Harassed and Threatened Occupy Sydney participants & supporters.
• Attempted to and enforced orders while refusing to identify which laws are being breached.
• Wilfully misinterpreted a clear Regulation to include actions clearly outside that legal framework. (Court case 10/1/12 seeks definitions.
• Refused to expedite return of property and in fact manufactured a series of convoluted series of obstructions to securing return.
• Threatened a new fellow Occupier Group ,Occupy Sydney International, compelling occupiers to close occupation due to fear of police violence.
• Sought to dictate how Occupy Sydney should protest .No legal framework specified.If we consent and the only means they leave are demonstrably ineffective then we should not consent.
• Taken essential Free School Protest equipment
• Taken essential library books.
• Seized all Occupy Sydney tarps used for protecting protest equipment from inclement weather.

  All Occupiers should know that there is a very real and clear danger of violence from Police & violation of personal or protest rights at any time at Occupy Sydney. NSW Police may steal your property. They may give orders which have no basis in law. Where the aims of police are not supported by law or the people ,the people should NOT support police.

 WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Call Rocks Police. Order them to cease & desist from attacking the #OccupySydney peaceful protest.
• Bring all unwanted furniture to Occupy Sydney.
• Bring all books,fiction and non fiction to #Occupysydney
• Bring Big Tarps to #OccupySydney
• Make updated pamphlets about Occupy Sydney & NSW Police harassment.
• Bring unwanted doors to #OccupySydney for use as tables.
• Bring FOOD for the occupiers & supporters.

Thank you for your continued support without which we would not be

   

 T

Occupy Sydney Occupiers Update

from the Occupiers @ Martin Pl

Police & the Occupiers;

Two of Occupy Sydney s stalwart Occupiers

  Sunday 20th Nov 2011: Occupy Sydney is just over a month old and a small group of occupiers cling tenaciously to our right to occupy Martin Place peacefully and respectfully in  the face of open police management hostility. That hostility is not at all a reflection of the public attitude to occupiers and the occupation generally as a broad swathe of the Australian public from left to right stop by to urge our occupiers to keep doing what we are doing. Heartening stuff. Even individual police officers are now openly stating that they would rather not be harassing us -and we understand that orders are orders. Current police orders seem to come from the same Assistant Commissioner who ordered the infamous Oct 23 attack on our previous occupation.
 NSW Police spent must have spent a Macquarie Bankers annual bonus & salary combined on intimidation and harassment of peaceful occupiers at Martin Pl. We will not be intimidated and we will not resile from our duty to ensure that the Occupy Sydney conversation continues 24 hours a day 7 days a week in Martin Place.. as well as online.
 The last forty eight hours have seen NSW Police resolve to destabilise the occupation weaken drastically as truth and commonsense push aside the dogma subscribed to by NSW Police that the law is what they make it. It may be a lull in what some describe as psychological warfare by Police or the beginning of a better understanding. The only relationship Occupy Sydney occupiers seek with police is that they revert to being servants of, not dictators to, the people.