Source: brisbanetimes.com.au
Australia - Recreational motorcyclists will protest across Australia
on Sunday against the Queensland government's new anti-bikie laws.
Rallies are planned in every capital city except Darwin, with the biggest expected in Brisbane.
Grass-roots riders have organised the events, mainly through social media, saying laws aimed at criminal bikie gangs have resulted in the harassment of law-abiding motorcyclists.
Civil libertarians, who've described the laws as "scary", will also join the protests. Advertisement
Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC) chairman Shaun Lennard has been invited to speak in Hobart.
"At last count I saw 24 different events around the country. They've been organised at the grass-roots level by people around the country concerned about what's happening in Queensland," he said on Friday.
Last month the AMC launched a fighting fund to raise money for any High Court challenge against the laws.
Mr Lennard said the AMC met a few weeks ago with Queensland's police minister and police commissioner to express its concerns, and another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday next week.
"Our main push is against this profiling of riders by Queensland police who want to ask questions of anyone riding a motorcycle about connections with proscribed organisations," he said.
Mr Lennard said the AMC also wanted police to abandon the suggestion recreational riders register their events to avoid police attention, describing it as silly.
Brisbane protest organiser Gabriel Buckley, who is a member of the Liberal Democrats, says the laws are an attack on civil liberties.
He's expecting between 1500 and 2000 people to rally atparliament house , including recreational riders who'll be arriving in groups from Redcliffe, Ipswich and Stapylton.
Mr Buckley said a primary concern was that the laws reversed the onus of proof for people accused of links to proscribed criminal gangs.
"As anyone who's done logic 101 knows, proving a negative is nigh on impossible," he said on Friday.
"And any organisation can be added to this list without any sort or review. It's all based on ministerial whim."
The rally at Brisbane's parliament house begins at 10am (AEST) on Sunday. The Hobart event, on the lawn outside parliament, begins at 9.30am (AEDT).
Police and the Newman government have previously asked recreational riders for patience amid the bikie crackdown but concede there will be disruptions for them.
Grass-roots riders have organised the events, mainly through social media, saying laws aimed at criminal bikie gangs have resulted in the harassment of law-abiding motorcyclists.
Civil libertarians, who've described the laws as "scary", will also join the protests. Advertisement
Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC) chairman Shaun Lennard has been invited to speak in Hobart.
"At last count I saw 24 different events around the country. They've been organised at the grass-roots level by people around the country concerned about what's happening in Queensland," he said on Friday.
Last month the AMC launched a fighting fund to raise money for any High Court challenge against the laws.
Mr Lennard said the AMC met a few weeks ago with Queensland's police minister and police commissioner to express its concerns, and another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday next week.
"Our main push is against this profiling of riders by Queensland police who want to ask questions of anyone riding a motorcycle about connections with proscribed organisations," he said.
Mr Lennard said the AMC also wanted police to abandon the suggestion recreational riders register their events to avoid police attention, describing it as silly.
Brisbane protest organiser Gabriel Buckley, who is a member of the Liberal Democrats, says the laws are an attack on civil liberties.
He's expecting between 1500 and 2000 people to rally at
Mr Buckley said a primary concern was that the laws reversed the onus of proof for people accused of links to proscribed criminal gangs.
"As anyone who's done logic 101 knows, proving a negative is nigh on impossible," he said on Friday.
"And any organisation can be added to this list without any sort or review. It's all based on ministerial whim."
The rally at Brisbane's parliament house begins at 10am (AEST) on Sunday. The Hobart event, on the lawn outside parliament, begins at 9.30am (AEDT).
Police and the Newman government have previously asked recreational riders for patience amid the bikie crackdown but concede there will be disruptions for them.
