AbaddonsFury
Tab Master
Pub regular
 
Good Guy/Gal Points. 123
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Posts: 3511
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« on: November 21, 2007, 07:24:12 PM » |
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The beginning of the end of freedom, have a look at how many civil liberties are being ignored here... It'll start with us, then once the laws are in and tested make no mistake it'll affect every Australian who the government want it to affect... This guy is a prick, he took our club on in court in South Australia and LOST, did ity again and LOST AGAIN....
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 The South Australian government's handling of outlaw bikies is political theatre of a dangerous, malignant oeuvre. In declaring war on South Australia's outlaw bikies, Premier Mike Rann has ignored the cardinal rule of law enforcement - police require the co-operation of the community to be successful. Moderate members of Adelaide's 1% motorcycle clubs privately support a clean-out of criminal elements within their ranks. Deep schisms exist in most clubs between the haves and have-nots of organised crime. However, Premier Rann's new approach does not differentiate between the factions. Membership is now the crime under South Australia's new laws. No matter what the individual's record, outlaw MC members are now "the evil within," says Rann. Having created something to fear, Rann and his Cabinet now cast themselves as fearless crime fighters. "All of us . . . have to put ourselves on the line in this struggle against outlaw motorcycle gangs," state attorney general Mike Atkinson said. Atkinson told the press he lived near three houses occupied by members of The Finks Motorcycle Club. "As things stand, they wave at me and say hello," he said. "I am not sure that will continue after this legislation." Sources in Adelaide have told The Bulletin that the Finks members in question deny they wave at Atkinson, nor pose any threat to his safety. They suggest that Atkinson's grudge against bikies has a personal dimension. One night last summer, a group of local men (known to the neighbourhood Finks) staged a 40-minute fireworks display from the back of a utility in a park near Atkinson's home in Croydon. It's understood that an angry Atkinson approached the sizeable group of onlookers to complain about the unlicensed display and was rebuffed. A drink was apparently thrown over him. Police were apparently called but no charges were laid. The South Australian government's heavy-handed approach is likely to galvanise support for the 1%ers amongst Adelaide's working class and fringe dwellers. There are only an estimated 250 patch members in Adelaide, but up to a thousand citizens who regularly socialise with the outlaws at their clubs or public functions. Known associates now face the same treatment as the outlaws. The government will reportedly focus on at least eight groups with new laws allowing Atkinson to declare a gang outlawed and confiscate assets. This includes the Hells Angels, Gypsy Jokers, Finks, Rebels, Descendants, Bandidos, Red Devils and Mobshitters. Police will apparently seek court control or public safety orders preventing gang members meeting or communicating with each other, (even by telephone) banning any gatherings or massed runs on South Australian roads. Club colours would be banned and members would not be allowed to acquire any new tattoos of club symbols. Breaches of laws would result in a five-year jail sentence. Club members would have to prove the source of all income and assets or face confiscation orders. In a token acknowledgement of the national constitution, SA's new legislation would include a yearly judicial review, a parliamentary review after five years and a 10-year sunset clause. Despite Premier Rann's insistence that bikies are the major source of organised crime in South Australia, police are yet to prove any of the clubs operate as organised crime entities. Rann has boasted that nowhere in the world are there laws as tough as SA's. That's probably because they are not needed, with a rich portfolio of black letter and common law to control the problem. As such this approach is political theatre of a dangerous, malignant oeuvre. Rann has based his approach on Canada's ill-fated experience where the Royal Mounted Canadian Police set out to arrest every single Hells Angel member in the 1990s, but succeeded only in driving the problem underground. The "war" on Canadian bikies drove moderate members into the criminals' camp and had no discernible effect on drug trafficking. Rather than push for dialogue between police and the older 1% club members (who are often highly influential over younger members), Premier Rann has decided to declare war on every member. This approach failed in Canada and it will fail in South Australia. Yet it will create sensational headlines for a government trying to divert attention from its failure on real issues such as climate change and Adelaide's water crisis.
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