Melbourne Police Accused of Excessive Force and Misuse of Power During Disrupt Land Forces Protests: Independent Report Unveils Disturbing Patterns of Misconduct
Melbourne, Australia – A damning new report released by Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) has shed light on the disturbing patterns of police misconduct, excessive force, and the misuse of special powers during the Disrupt Land Forces (DLF) protests that took place in September 2024. The report, titled "The Policing of the DLF Protests," paints a stark picture of a coordinated effort by law enforcement to suppress dissent, stifle the fundamental right to protest, and intimidate activists. Based on eyewitness accounts from meticulously trained independent legal observers, the report details a concerning escalation of police violence and the deployment of potentially lethal weapons against protestors, often indiscriminately and against individuals posing no immediate threat.
The DLF protests, aimed at disrupting the annual Land Forces exposition, a major international arms fair, drew a diverse crowd of activists concerned about the escalating global arms trade and its impact on human rights and international conflicts. The report alleges that the police response to these demonstrations went far beyond what was necessary to maintain public order, employing instead tactics that created an environment of fear, panic, and intimidation. This heavy-handed approach, MALS argues, underscores a worrying trend towards the militarization of policing and the erosion of democratic freedoms.
Central to the report’s findings is the documented use of potentially lethal weapons against protestors, including chemical irritants, explosive disorientation devices, and kinetic impact projectiles. The report details instances where these weapons were used indiscriminately, targeting non-violent protestors and even bystanders. This indiscriminate use of force, according to MALS, resulted in numerous injuries and created a climate of fear that discouraged legitimate protest. The report further criticizes the police use of shields offensively, employing them as weapons rather than defensive tools, and deploying dangerous crowd control maneuvers that escalated the risk of injury to protestors.
Beyond the excessive use of force, the report strongly criticizes the pre-emptive invocation of special police powers under the Control of Weapons Act and the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act. MALS contends that these powers were not used to address legitimate security concerns, but rather to stifle protest and intimidate activists. The application of anti-terrorism legislation in the absence of any credible terrorist threat sets a dangerous precedent, warn legal observers, and represents a concerning expansion of police powers that could chill future protests and restrict fundamental freedoms. This, MALS argues, constitutes a clear overreach of authority and a concerning misuse of legislation designed for very different circumstances.
The MALS spokesperson, in a statement accompanying the report’s release, expressed deep concern over the findings. They emphasized that the use of anti-terrorism legislation in the context of a peaceful protest sets a dangerous precedent for future demonstrations and raises serious questions about the protection of fundamental freedoms in Australia. The spokesperson urged for a thorough and independent investigation into the police conduct during the DLF protests and called for greater accountability and transparency in policing practices.
The report’s release has sparked a heated debate about the balance between public safety and the right to protest. Civil liberties organizations have echoed MALS’s concerns, calling for greater oversight of police powers and expressing alarm at the increasing use of heavy-handed tactics against peaceful protestors. The police, in response to the report, have defended their actions, stating that their measures were necessary to maintain public order and prevent violence. They maintain that the use of force was proportionate to the perceived threat and that the deployment of special powers was justified by the circumstances. The DLF protests and their aftermath have become a flashpoint in the ongoing discussion about the boundaries of protest, the role of law enforcement, and the protection of civil liberties in a changing social and political landscape. The MALS report serves as a crucial contribution to this discussion, prompting a critical examination of police practices and their impact on the fundamental right to peaceful assembly.