#so I'm kinda stressing about this current one because I already got an extension

[tleeaves]

paper deets? go brainstorm crazy

Okay, I'm not gonna go too crazy, because I'm already writing a paper on it anyway. But basically, there was a 2019 amendment in Australia (bear with me, I still need to triple-check there hasn't been another amendment since then) which sought to redefine violent/non-violent protest, but it is also important to note that for many years prior as well, police 'move on' powers have been introduced and increasingly used across the nation. As recently as 2022, Tasmania introduced anti-protest laws. Other states have very similar legislation, particularly down the east side (QLD, NSW, VIC, and also SA).

Not too sure how much followers of my blog know about how legislation works, but anyway, there has essentially been a combination of several acts in each state that combine to criminalise protesting to the point where there is, essentially, no effective way to protest even peacefully. Police can demand that protestors move on because the altered definitions of protest are as loose as 'public disturbance/in a public place/obstructing the regular passage of life in the area etc.' (very rough paraphrasing, sorry, I have so many tabs open from my research, and I'm gonna save the more direct quotes for the actual paper). And once an order to move on as been issued by an officer, and they believe it is not being complied with, they have grounds to arrest.

This is barely the half of it. Not only is this going against the democracy Australia is supposed to be, but there is heavy media influence too over how we as a culture perceive protesting--an activity that is crucial to a democratic system. Without even realising it, Australia is becoming one of the very things we often hate: autocratic. We are fortunate here, but those days are numbered if this trend continues. Our government is supposed to be "of the people, for the people", and yet the divide grows and protest is being demonised.

There is so much more I could say but for now my lips are sealed on the matter until a later date. I know a lot of this sounds kinda wild and I'm not really defending my arguments, but again, I'm already writing about this for a grade and I would rather just keep it all in my head for a few more days as I work on it.

#australian law #anti-protesting laws #this paper is in contrast with one I did about a month ago on french riots #which I massively enjoyed btw #the grade could have been better if I spent more time editing and making the paper more detailed again #so I'm kinda stressing about this current one because I already got an extension #and it is so important I present these ideas well because this topic is Everything #I love talking about civic unrest #which we need a new term for btw because civic unrest does not encapsulate how essential the participation of citizens is to how a state #is run #this is more than violence #more than just “well what's the most peaceful unharmful way we can protest?” #this is part of the media influence over how protests and riots are perceived #anyway enough rambling from me #I am instead going to spend all day furiously typing up this paper and all of tomorrow editing and refining