Planned Story Bridge protest postponed following threats of mass arrests over fight for refugee rights
Organisers may have postponed a controversial mass Story Bridge protest citing fears of ‘police violence’ but they’ve issued an ominous warning saying ‘they’re not going anywhere’ and they’ll spend the next seven days ‘better preparing to resist police threats of violence’.
QLD News
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Organisers of the Story Bridge protest have postponed the protest for a week, less than 24 hours before it was due to begin but warned they’ll spend the next week ‘better preparing to resist police threats of violence’.
Refugee Solidarity Brisbane/Meanjin on Friday night announced via Facebook they would be rescheduling due to fears of how police may act and because a meeting with Australian Border Force was being negotiated.
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The organiser said the language they used was “ deeply concerning for anyone who cares about the right to peaceful protest in this state.”
“They said they’d respond with ‘full force’ and they’ll be ‘exhausting all their resources to stop this protest going ahead’ – these are dog whistles for police violence, repressive tactics like chemical weapons, and the riot squad moving in to assault peaceful community members.”
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But the protesters warned they’d spend the next seven days preparing for a showdown with police.
“We demand that QPS come through on their offer and that ABF meet with us to discuss the enactment of our demand,” organisers wrote in a Facebook post.
“We’re going to use that week to better prepare ourselves to resist police threats of violence and repression, and ensure the safety of the people coming to our action.
“But don’t get confused: if this meeting doesn’t happen, or if ABF doesn’t agree to free movement for the detainees, our mass sit in will go ahead next Saturday.
“We are committed to the freedom of these men. We are non-violent. We aren’t going anywhere.”
The protest is planned for Saturday August 15 if the group’s demand of a meeting with Australian Border Force isn’t met.
Protesters and police had been gearing up for the showdown despite earlier last-minute negotiations to broker a peace deal.
Queensland Police vowed to come down hard on demonstrators but some activists remained undeterred until the 11th-hour backdown, saying they were willing to be arrested.
But police, including specialist units, promised to also be there in large numbers and were prepared to make arrests to prevent the six-lane bridge from closing.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer also weighed in, pleading with people not to protest due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Saturday’s escalation of the protest was set to include a mass sit-in on the iconic bridge in an act of “civil disobedience”.
Refugee Solidarity Brisbane/Meanjin organiser Nathalie Farah said earlier they would have called off the protest if police and Australian Border Force agreed to meet to discuss the “free movement” of asylum seekers outside the hotel.
“I called (police) and said that we should try and get this meeting to happen, because basically it’s probably going to turn into a riot because we’re not going to be given the space to social distance,” she said.
“We’re definitely going to be turned around and then the police are going to come in and disperse us.
“So for the safety of our communities and for the safety of the protesters and the men inside we would rather not do a mass action in the middle of a pandemic.”
Protesters on Friday had set a noon deadline before extending it for several hours, with it looking likely the protest was going to go ahead, until the late change.
Police agreed to the meeting however without Australian Border Force agreeing to join it the protest was planned to go ahead until the 9pm postponement.
Australian Border Force said it never received a formal request from protesters and extra security had been planned for the hotel.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the protest would be illegal and a very large police operation had been planned.
“Going onto the Story Bridge and blocking it is not a lawful protest,” he said.
“They will not be permitted to block the Bradfield Highway, the Story Bridge, we will take action and if people commit offences they can expect to be arrested.”
Specialist police the Public Safety Response Team, who dealt with Extinction Rebellion protesters, were expected to be present.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young warned of the potentially costly health implications of staging the protest, saying now was not the time to breach COVID-19 rules.
“Please do not go and protest this weekend, it is critical because it’ll be a tough decision to make on Monday if we’ve seen large breaches of those chief health officer directions then I’ll have to take that into consideration about the advice I give the community,” she said.
“But please we can’t yet relax.”
While discussing the original plans, Refugee Solidarity Brisbane/Meanjin organiser Dane de Leon said Saturday’s planned action had been an escalation because previous methods hadn’t worked.
“It’s been seven years we’ve tried the policy way, the legal away, and whatever we’re doing whatever it takes for the government to notice us we’ve been here 24/7 they still haven’t got back to us,” she said.
“So we thought the bridge would just be the loudest way for us (to get) them to action our demand.
“There are people who have pledged and said that they are willing to be arrested for these men because nothing we’ll go through on Saturday can be as bad as 10 years in detention.”
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington took umbrage at protesters planning to play a game of soccer on the middle of the bridge.
“It’s simply a kick in the guts to every Queenslander doing the right thing,” she said.
“It is a massive own goal and blatant hypocrisy for Labor to shut the border but allow this mass protest to proceed.”