FC: Australian minister allegedy wants WTO protest sites restricted

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

You should consider the below message to be unverified. For one thing, the 
alleged press release spells Costa's first name incorrectly (it's Michael):
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/Parlment/Members.nsf/acc182be7a6d1b6c4a2565ad001234d5/2fb1b8ff9d13f926ca256abf0020f1ae?OpenDocumen 
t

Matthew X (aka proffr) is an Australian anarchist and Politech subscriber 
who's having his own battles with the local constabulary:
http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=proffr

-Declan

---

Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 16:09:36 +1000
To: chuck Munson <chuck () tao ca>
From: Matthew X <profrv () nex net au>
Subject: Police minister threat to websites.
Cc: declan () well com
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed


Press Release from Micheal Costa, NSW Minister for Police concerning "WTO 
protest websites". The minister has reportedly contacted Richard Alston, 
the Communications Minister, and Chris Allison, the Justice Minister, 
asking the websites be "shut down" or "restrict access to them."

MEDIA RELEASE
Statement by Micheal Costa on WTO Protest Websites
24 September 2002

I am deeply concerned about websites providing information designed to aid 
the violent distruption of the forthcoming World Trade Organisation meeting 
in Sydney in November.

I support the community's right to peaceful, lawful protest.

But it's clear to me comments and information on these sites are designed 
to incite violence against NSW police, who will be providing security for 
the meeting.

These people have gone too far.

They are telling protestors to arm themselves with baseball bats, sling 
shots, firecrackers, gas masks and marbles.

They intend to harm police and police horses and put community saftey at risk.

That's why I have written to the federal government today asking them to 
shut down these websites or restrict access to them.

And that's why I will take the matter to the next meeting of the 
Australasian Police Ministers Council.

----------------------

Though the statement does not explicitly mention indymedia, through 
conversations with journalists we have discovered that the melbourne and 
sydney indymedia's are included in the unmaned 3 offending websites.
Melbourne Indymedia is currently formulating a response.
http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=34204&group=webcast




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