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Anti-VLAD Act protests go global

Bikers rally in California against profiling
Bikers rally in California

Australia Day protests against the anti-bikie laws in Queensland are going global.
Protests will be held in London, Dublin and San Francisco, California.
The British Bikers Protest starts at the Ecuadorian embassy, to highlight the plight of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, then moves to Australia House to protest the Newman government’s Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) Act.
In Dublin, riders will protest the rights to associate with a breakfast in Furry Park, followed by an assembly at the Australian Embassy at noon.
In California, the World Wide Australian Embassy/Consulate Protest Against VLAD Facebook page has organised a protest at the Australian Consulate in San Francisco on Sunday.
Social media has called for protests at “every Australian embassy and consulate” in every country.
Motorcycle USA online magazine says the San Francisco protest will have “no organized pack ride, no parade, no speeches, no amplified sound, avoiding the need for city permits”.
Bikers-Rally-at-California-Instead, people will “assemble in front of the building, hold signs, occupying half of the public sidewalk closest to the street and avoid blocking pedestrian traffic”.
Let’s see if we can’t drum up similar support for Australian clubs because if the Queensland government is successful in its prosecution of bikers, there’s no telling who might adopt similar laws next.
Motorcycle USA blogger Bryan Harley says anti-association laws have also been passed in the US.
“Think things like this don’t happen in America. Think again. Look at what happened to the Mongols. After a multi-state sweep by the ATF and Department of Justice called “Operation Black Rain” in 2008, “US District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper granted an injunction that prohibits club members, their family members and associates from wearing, licensing, selling, or distributing the logo, which typically depicts the profile of a Mongolian warrior wearing sunglasses, because according to the police, they use the logo and names as an identity and as a form of intimidation to fulfil their goals.”
“Let’s see if we can’t drum up similar support for Australian clubs because if the Queensland government is successful in its prosecution of bikers, there’s no telling who might adopt similar laws next.
“Did you know… that our own government assisted the Queensland government by providing intelligence on US based motorcycle clubs?
“The whole world is watching how things unfold in Queensland. As a global, unified motorcycle community of bikers, we cannot sit on the sidelines.”
Meanwhile Freedom Australia rides and rallies will be held in several Australian cities on Sunday with Eureka Rising rides from several cities heading to Federal Parliament in Canberra to demand an Australian Bill of Rights.

  1. Among most of my non motorcycling friends there is apathy, if not downright hostility, towards people who are opposing Newman’s ‘cleaning up’, of Queensland. Let’s hope we aren’t overestimating what impact these protests will have.

  2. Mark, you know that these are not ‘anti-bikie’ laws as the mainstream media keep referring to the VLAD Act. That is the problem which makes it more difficult to enlighten the general populace that these laws are anti – civil liberties. Just a thought mate, that it might be useful to coin a new phrase to describe them!

  3. The VLAD legislation is draconian, appalling and unnecessary. There is no mention of “bikie” in the legislation. It is an anti-association law that can be used on any group to suit political purposes. It is contra to the Australian Constitution which gives all Australians (Queenslanders included) the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and equality in law. Police officers were threatened with dismissal if they did not carry out this legislation. A police officer alleges a person is a member of an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang or an associate, and that is all that is necessary to be locked up in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. One man, now out on bail, was not allowed to bath or change his clothes for 13 days. It is up to the person to prove innocence (contra to the Australian Constitution). How one is supposed to do that from solitary confinement with an entitlement of one six-minute telephone call a day (if the telephone is working) defies belief. The Newman government-appointed Chief Magistrate has issued a directive that only he will hear bail applications for the entire state, and no more than four per week. This ensures that there is a backlog, with people spending excessive time in solitary confinement before their bail hearing. Then, he usually refuses bail, and it is back to solitary confinement. Because of backlogs in the court system, it could be up to five months or longer before a case is actually heard. Some have been granted bail on appeal to the Supreme Court. The legislation is flawed, and is grandstanding for political purposes which is what Newman is all about. It is highly likely the legislation will be tossed out in a High Court challenge. Newman and his sidekick Attorney-General are well aware of this. However, it takes time to prepare and take a matter to the High Court, and it is very, very expensive. Queensland has a unicameral Parliament, and what is occurring in Queensland is a majority government that is abusing its power for political purposes.

    1. Yes Lisa you are so right, sadly i dont think many people realise that while these people are locked up they can , lose their job, lose their home, cant pay bills so are black listed, cant support wives or children, etc and after that is a down hill slide, on the dole and cant catch up with the debt thats built up while in jail as wellas court costs. It is a terrible thing this govt is doing to is country. hope that they repeal these laws ASAP.

  4. The situation seems to get worse by the day. Any biker that has (or once had) any ascociation with an outlaw motorcycle
    gang can loose his trade licence. If he is an electrician, security guard, Tattoo artist, tow truck driver (the list grows on a daily basis) he can no longer work. Laws that were meant to be used to stop organised crime are being used against people who commit low level street crime (fights in bars etc) Their has allways been adequate laws to deal with these problems. Any one charged with offences under this act (even minor offences, such as just ascociating) are denied bail. A young Guy selling clothes in a former gang clubhouse (which is classed as a restricted area) has been arrested. The charge is based on the law that says an associate of a gang cannot go into a prescribed location. The guy dosn’t even have a motorcycle licence. The owner of the shop cannot even go into the shop as he has a criminal record.

  5. Wayne Baffsky, Honorary Legal Counsel, United Motorcycle Council (NSW) recently posted an article on Umc Nsw facebook page. The article clarifies the law very clearly. An extract of that article is as follows:

    “Queensland’s so-called ‘anti-bikie’ laws were ostensibly brought in because of a riot and a siege of a police station in Surfers Paradise. This riot would not have attracted anyone’s attention if it had occurred anywhere else nor would it have even rated on any scale of riots. It was, allegedly, a relatively minor fight between some members and associates of 2 OMC clubs. Although, this behaviour was illegal, and frightening to any onlookers it was an insignificant event which, in any other circumstances, would have been forgotten. Similarly with the siege. What has been called a siege was no more than a couple of members of one of the clubs yelling at the police station to release their friends. It too was a relatively insignificant event.

    The Queensland government has used these events as an excuse to bring in the most horrendous, anti-democratic and harsh laws which will and have caused many an injustice. Despite the Queensland government’s own figures showing that most types of crime are in the decline or stable and their own figures showing that members of OMCs are only responsible for less than 1% of crime, and most of those being minor traffic and drug matters, they have not only persisted with these terrible laws, but, they have amended them to include almost anyone who has had any contact with an OMC club. So it’s not necessary for the police to prove you are a current participant in a prescribed club, they only have to prove, to the extent they have to prove it at all, that you were at some time prior, a participant. Even if you were associated with a prescribed club 30 years ago for 2 days only, that’s almost certainly enough, to make you a participant. …

    Criminal Code – The worst and most spoken about are sections 60A, B & C.
    Section 60A is the anti-association section. It provides that any participant in a criminal organisation who is in a public place with 2 or more other participants is committing an offence and if convicted must serve a minimum of 6 months gaol up to a maximum of 3 years. As I’ve mentioned ‘participant’ is very broadly defined and can include almost anyone who has had any contact with an OMC club or attended more than one bike show or some other social event or even done business with the club. You do not need to be associating for a criminal purpose, just be in a public place together.

    VLAD Act – This is a new Act. It has one purpose. If you commit an offence which is in the VLAD Act Schedule and you are a participant in a criminal organisation (remember, this captures just about anybody who has had anything to do with an OMC) and you commit the offence in furtherance of some kind of club business (it doesn’t have to be criminal business) then you MUST get, on top of what a judge has already given you, an extra 15 years gaol if you are a member and an extra 25 years gaol if you are an officer of a club. It is mandatory. You cannot make any submissions and there is nothing you can do about it. Even if a judge penalises you with only a $50 fine, you still must get an extra 15 or 25 years gaol. …”

  6. now a woman has been arrested for being a particpant of a’ gang’ she had a vest on that said ‘property of crow’, please tell me this isnt happening. i feel for all that are suffering under this dictatorship, and those who have left clubs earlier are finding it impossible to get their names off the list of the doomed bikie, do we need an amnesty, how can it be done ? WENT ALL IS SAID AND DONE I WILL STILL BE FRIENDS WITH WHOM EVER I WISH.

  7. Im from brisbane queensland australia and I would like to tank all our brothers and sisters around the globe for your support

  8. Anti-Civil-Liberties-Laws is exactly what they are and calling things by what they really are gets the message accross easily to the average person.

    The mental health of any person locked in soliatary confinement is only going to get worse. This treatment both is inhumane and & and unusual punishment. I wonder what the end plan is for people locked up in this manner? And once again, after ‘bikies’, who is next on the hit list?

  9. Perhaps we need to get the message across more that it is not only ‘bikies’ these laws are aimed at. They can and will be aimed at any organisation those in power would prefer not to see. So is the plan to have NOT one motorcycle, vespa, scooter, electric powered cycle on the road by the G20 summit?

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