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Arrested Greenpeace Activists Bail Relaxed
Greenpeace in first successful court challenge of
draconian APEC security measures
Newcastle, Thursday 6th September. In a sharp rebuke of the NSW Police, the Newcastle Local Court has this morning overturned excessive APEC-driven bail conditions set on 11 Greenpeace activists arrested during a climate change protest at the world's biggest coal export port in Newcastle.
The judge found that many of the bail conditions restricted the activists' fundamental right to protest.
“The absurd APEC security blitz is denying Australians their basic democratic rights to protest,” said John Hepburn, Greenpeace campaigner.
“Protest and peaceful direct action are a fundamental part of our democracy. It is the only effective counterbalance to the vested interests of the coal industry who are effectively writing climate change policy in Australia,” Mr Hepburn said.
Greenpeace will hold a press conference together with the Council for Civil Liberties and APEC legal observers Human Rights Monitors this afternoon at 3.30pm to discuss the court decision and the impact of heightened security and restrictions on civil liberties during APEC.
Time: 3.30pm
Thursday 6 September
Place: APEC International NGO Media Centre
377 Sussex Street, Sydney
Greenpeace activists painted 'Australia Pushing Export Coal' on the side of a coal ship in Newcastle Harbour last Sunday in a peaceful protest to expose John Howard's real agenda of using APEC to undermine the Kyoto Protocol.
The bail conditions placed on the activists included a ban on "attend[ing]...any authorised or unauthorised public assembly which may impact upon APEC 2007 and for the duration thereof."
"These bail conditions are a fundamental denial of people's freedom of expression," Mr Hepburn said.
"The APEC legislation is preventing people from expressing their political opinion in a peaceful, lawful way. This was an unprecedented use of bail conditions to constrain people's basic rights at places that are far distant from where the alleged offence was committed.
"Defending our right to protest and express our political views is fundamental to a healthy democracy," Mr Hepburn concluded.
ends
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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