During the 2021 NSW lockdown, dozens of people reported concerning interactions with police to Amnesty International Australia, including being incorrectly issued fines and being stopped and searched under the pretext of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Tag Archives: Police
Greece: Authorities abusing power to trample on right to protest
Under the guise of the Covid-19 pandemic the Greek authorities have used arbitrary arrests, blanket bans, unjustified fines and unlawful use of force to curb peaceful protest, new research by Amnesty International has revealed. These disconcerting examples of state overreach took place at a time when people wished to voice their concerns over important issues such …
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Police overreach on display once again as students take to the streets to protest against climate change
As thousands gathered around the country today to show their anger at the Australian government’s lack of action on climate change, students in Sydney were once again roughly pushed to the ground in a clash with NSW police. This is not the first time law enforcement officers in NSW have used force while policing peaceful protests. …
It’s a time for transparency, not secrecy – policing guidelines must be urgently released
Amnesty International Australia has again called on Police services in New South Wales and Victoria to immediately and urgently release guidelines for policing infringements as tighter lockdown restrictions are applied to both states. NSW Police internal guidelines – published today in media reports today following a freedom of information request – show that police were …
Malaysia: New government must create long-awaited police commission and pursue other major human rights reforms
Changes in Malaysia’s government must spur, not stall, human rights reforms, including efforts to establish an independent police commission, Amnesty International said today. In a new briefing published today ahead of the July parliament session, the organization is calling on Malaysia to seize this historic opportunity to implement much-needed police reforms and at last establish …
Police must do more to address racism
Responding to the violent arrest of an Indigenous boy in NSW this week, Amnesty International Australia Indigenous Rights Advisor, Rodney Dillon, said: “Sadly, this latest incident is an example of a long history of violence and discrimination leveled at Indigenous people by police all over the country since colonisation. There have been more than 400 …
Tragedy of George Floyd echoes Australia’s shameful record of deaths in custody
The death of American George Floyd last week and ensuing protests in the United States are a sobering reminder of Australia’s own shameful record on Indigenous deaths in custody. Since the conclusion of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, more than 420 people have died in police custody without a single …
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Northern Territory Police must stop transporting kids in cages
Northern Territory Police must stop the practice of transporting children in remand and detention in so-called “Police cages” – a ute with a cage on the tray covered with a tarpaulin. Amnesty International Australia has received and investigated numerous reports of children being transported, unrestrained, in these cages for journeys of up to five hours. …
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