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eve
Sep 11th, 2005, 08:07 AM
Scott Parkin, who had been teaching peace activism workshops in Melbourne, was detained on Saturday and had his six-month visitor visa cancelled on national security grounds. He is being deported to the US. One of his lawyers Marika Dias said her client, a long-time peace activist who was once arrested in America over a Greenpeace action, hadn't been told why he was considered a security risk in Australia.

The above is from an article in "The Age" and it is worrying. The url is http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Australia-to-deport-US-peace-activist/2005/09/11/1126377198475.html

DianeVegan
Sep 11th, 2005, 09:02 AM
It's so nice to see that your government is helping ours enforce the lovely Patriot Act, Eve. Soon we will only have conforming, "patriotic" people all over the planet and Bush's plan to spread "democracy" will have been a great success. A worrying article, indeed.

abrennan
Sep 11th, 2005, 09:58 AM
thanks Diane we're so proud NOT!!!

another problem we have is that our opposition have been so weak that they usually fall over themselves to support the Gov't when it comes to things like this. there are some people working on his behalf here lets hope he is released soon. they have revoked his Visa for some "secret" reason

abrennan
Sep 11th, 2005, 01:45 PM
Orders from Washington behind deportation: Brown

September 11, 2005 - 7:00PM

An American peace activist facing deportation from Australia may have been arrested for political reasons on orders from Washington, Greens leader Bob Brown said tonight.

Scott Parkin, a teacher and activist who was once arrested in the United States, was detained yesterday by Australian Federal Police on the authority of the immigration department.

Mr Parkin's lawyer Marika Dias today said Mr Parkin was told he'd been arrested, and had his visitor's visa cancelled, because he was considered a threat to national security.

Mr Parkin - who had been teaching peace activism workshops in Melbourne - is being held at the Melbourne Custody Centre, where protesters rallied today against his detention and expected deportation.

Ms Dias said authorities had not told Mr Parkin why he was considered a security risk in Australia.

Senator Brown said he had serious concerns about the reasons for Mr Parkin's arrest given his history of activism against US military contractor Halliburton, which has close ties to US Vice President Dick Cheney.

"I think the big question here is whether it's a political arrest and deportation," Senator Brown said.

"It seems to have nothing to do with terrorism.

"The Howard government will do whatever Washington asks of it and I am very concerned the request for his arrest came in the wake of information from Washington ... because he's an absolute thorn in the side of Dick Cheney, Halliburton and profit making deals that apply in Iraq."

Senator Brown said he doubted the order for Mr Parkin's arrest had come from Australia's security services, given that he was cleared for a visa months ago.

He said the government had been "very secretive" about Mr Parkin's detention and would not say under what law he had been arrested and held, nor why.

Ms Dias said Mr Parkin had been involved in one non-violent protest against Halliburton in Sydney, but no arrests were made at that rally.

Her client was now considering whether to appeal the decision to cancel his visa, Ms Dias said.

"Really it seems to be that there are simply no grounds for this decision," she said.

"He certainly feels that a grave injustice has been perpetrated here. He feels targeted. He feels, I suppose, that he's been treated very unfairly."

Ms Dias said up to six AFP and immigration department officers took Mr Parkin from a Melbourne cafe on Saturday.

He was now paying about $130 a day for his detention.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told the ABC that Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone had made the decision to detain the American after a security check.

He said visas could be revoked for a number of reasons.

"I'm not going to comment on matters about which assessments are made by competent agencies," he told the ABC.

"The only point I'd make is that in relation to those matters, there are provisions by which the decision can be challenged if people are inclined to do that."

National Anti-Deportation Alliance spokeswoman Liz Thompson said Mr Parkin had done nothing wrong.

"He's a hippy giving workshops on peace, non-violent direct action," she told the ABC.

"I'm baffled. We'd love to know what the secret stash of information on this guy is, that makes him a threat to national security."

Melbourne activist Rory Gutterson was among 30 people who protested against Mr Parkin's detention outside the Melbourne Custody Centre.

He said he believed the detention was part of a wider government campaign to silence Australian activists.

"Thousands of people have committed exactly the same 'offence' that's not actually illegal, as Scott has done," Mr Gutterson said.

"We've spoken out against war, we've spoken out against detention and now we feel threatened by this and this is the government's aim."

Mr Parkin arrived in Australia in early June and was planning to leave Australia in September, Ms Dias said.

She said a number of "high-profile" Australian lawyers had offered to act on his behalf, but that he would have to stay in detention if he pursued an appeal.

Greenpeace spokesman Dan Cass confirmed Mr Parkin had been arrested in America as part of a Greenpeace action, but said his treatment in Australia was unwarranted.

He described Mr Parkin as Australia's first political prisoner, telling the ABC: "This only encourages us to think that when the Howard-controlled Senate looks at review of the ASIO laws, Australia will be facing potentially police state powers."

AAP

adam antichrist
Sep 11th, 2005, 04:48 PM
oh great we're all completely fucked.
You know what this says to me? This says non-violent direct action actually works, otherwise they'd not be arsed with trying to stop it.

Kevster
Sep 11th, 2005, 08:55 PM
'Once arrested for a Greenpeace action' and then gets booted out, not quite like that in the UK. (yet..)

That says to me that the Australian government feels threatened by a pacifist. I've never felt threatened by a pacifist, what other shadows are they chasing???

Pacifist spreading peace message alert! Major threat to the country!

It just gets more absurd, it should be funny.

Kevster
Sep 11th, 2005, 08:58 PM
Anyone feeling threatened by the English cricket team?

abrennan
Sep 12th, 2005, 05:19 AM
Legal bods from the big end of town are offering there assistance free to this guy. We're still waiting to see wethere he decides to appeal.

Did you know we are charging HIM money to keep HIM in detention $130 a day!!

Have a fallen into an illusion or something?:confused:

Antony

eve
Sep 12th, 2005, 07:47 AM
Well I had to smile at Crikey.com's piece today after the Al Q'aeda threat to Melbourne (for non-Aussie's reading this, there's a certain rivalry between Sydney & Melbourne):)

"Sydneysiders are reeling this morning over news that Al Qaeda has announced Melbourne as a possible new target of their worldwide campaign to scare the p*ss out of people. This is being seen as a major snub in social and political circles of the 2000 Olympic City, and leading Sydneysiders are calling on Al Qaeda to reconsider their choice of future targets.

The Al Qaeda announcement is also expected to make it even harder for Sydney politicians to redirect millions of taxpayer dollars from spending on education, child care and medicines for the elderly to buy CCTV cameras and other anti-terror related security measures. "It's terrible news," said one Sydney security specialist who has been campaigning for the NSW government to spend $100 million on his line of robot dogs that sniff out bombs concealed in the buttholes of Islamomaniac poodles.
If Sydneysiders are disappointed by the Al Qaeda snub then Melbournians are absolutely gloating at the news that hit front pages and headlines around the world today. Fashionistas down south claim the Al Qaeda announcement is yet another sign of just how "cool" Melbourne had become."

DianeVegan
Sep 12th, 2005, 08:42 AM
Oh, you Australians have a great sense of humour. :D :D :D

(that type of humour could get you put on a terrorist watch list here) ;)

abrennan
Sep 12th, 2005, 11:16 AM
I reckon we're all on the terrorist watch over there:D

abrennan
Sep 12th, 2005, 11:16 AM
Peace activism no reason for deportation, Beazley says:eek:

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says he has sought a briefing on the reasons for the proposed deportation of the American peace activist.

Scott Parkin has been in Australia since June and was arrested in Melbourne on Saturday after his visa was revoked when an assessment showed he posed a threat to Australia's national security.

Mr Beazley says a history as a peace activist alone is not reason enough to be excluded from the country.

"The Government has said there are additional security concerns in relation to that person and we are not aware of those," he said.

"We are seeking to have ourselves made aware of those."

Human rights lawyer Julian Burnside QC says he wants to know why it took so long for authorities to act if indeed Mr Parkin is a security threat.

Greens Senator Bob Brown has described Mr Parkin's detention and probable deportation as an abuse of ASIO's powers.

"ASIO's emergency powers, which have gone through the Parliament opposed by the Greens, were meant to be for terrorists, not for people who are campaigning against the misdeeds of the US administration or its associates," Senator Brown said.

"We're not a police state."

Mr Parkin's legal adviser, Marika Dias, says he has attended several protests in Australia but has done nothing wrong.

Roxy
Sep 12th, 2005, 07:45 PM
Wow! This is crazy. I wonder what the big secret is!!??

Is Halliburton the company that Michael Moore discussed to some length in Fahrenheit 9-11? If so, good on the guy for protesting against them!


Why is the Australian government trying to live in the United States shaddow? Don't we have an identity of our own?

Kevster
Sep 12th, 2005, 09:23 PM
This is pretty embarrassing for the Australian government. Looks like the supposed crackdown on Terrorism may also be a very thinly disguised crackdown on protest. Looks like there'll be some freedom of speech issues coming up...

abrennan
Sep 15th, 2005, 12:19 PM
Parkin deported to US: FBI says he's 'welcome'

By Jano Gibson
September 15, 2005 - 11:09AM


http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/09/12/scottparkin_narrowweb__200x294.jpgSecurity threat ... Scott Parkin




US peace activist Scott Parkin, who was deported from Australia this morning after being deemed a threat to national security, would be welcome back in his homeland, the FBI says.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman in Los Angeles told smh.com.au the 36-year-old Texan teacher would not be tracked by the agency when he arrived back in the United States tomorrow.

"As far as I'm aware a US citizen is welcome home," spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

Mr Parkin would only be subject to the standard regulations that any individual would face when arriving in the country, she said.

The activist, who had been held in a Melbourne correctional centre since last Saturday, was believed to have boarded a Los Angeles-bound flight at 10.25 this morning, said Greenpeace, who are helping Mr Parkin challenge the Immigration Department's decision to revoke his visa.

In a statement released by the organisation, Mr Parkin said he was "still baffled" as to why ASIO had given him an adverse security assessment.

"I find this entire experience incomprehensible and am still baffled as to why my visa has been cancelled," he said.

Mr Parkin, who had participated in protests against the Forbes CEO Conference in Sydney last month and was due to deliver a workshop on non-violent protests when he was detained, rejected Government assertions he was involved in violent political activity.

"I am a student of mass social movements in the tradition of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King jnr and I think that these movements have shown us the way to achieve positive social change," said Mr Parkin.

He said he hoped Australians in the US would not be treated as he had been in Australia.

"I hope that when Australians visit the US that they are allowed to voice their criticism of government and corporate policy without fear of reprisal, and that they are freely allowed to participate in peaceful protest."

AAP reports: Peace protesters gathered at Melbourne Airport early today waving signs saying "Thanks for your non-violence, Scott" and "Peace is the Word".

A supporter, Iain Murray, said it was ludicrous that Mr Parkin was considered a threat to Australia.

"The only threat that Scott could represent is a threat of embarrassment and exposure of a government that has supported the war on Iraq," Mr Murray told reporters.

"There's about as much evidence of Scott representing a threat as there's been evidence found of weapons of mass destruction."

Mr Murray said Mr Parkin was taken from Melbourne Custody Centre about 6am and had been spirited into the airport by Immigration Department officials.

"Scott is being deprived of that final dignity of being able to see his friends," he said.

Mr Murray said Mr Parkin's removal from Australia was a gross violation of his rights, and he had not been adequately told why he was locked alone in a cell and then deported.

adam antichrist
Sep 15th, 2005, 12:36 PM
Well he's got a beard, he is obviously a member of Al Qaeda

DianeVegan
Sep 16th, 2005, 12:08 AM
Looks like brown eyes too.

eve
Sep 16th, 2005, 06:23 AM
And apparently he has to pay for the 5 nights he was locked up!

abrennan
Sep 16th, 2005, 08:59 AM
Compensation for deported activist unlikely: Ruddock

Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says he doubts the American peace activist Scott Parkin will be able to successfully mount a claim for compensation.

Mr Parkin, 36, was removed from Australia by the Immigration Department yesterday after intelligence agency ASIO ruled he was a risk to national security.

He has vowed to seek compensation after receiving an $11,000 bill from the Australian Government for his deportation.

Mr Ruddock says there are avenues for appeal but he doubts Mr Parkin will succeed.

"Compensation would only be possible if the Government had behaved unlawfully," he said.

"The Government hasn't behaved unlawfully. People who want to test the lawfulness of the decisions can do so, and he's free to do that and he's flagged it."

Mr Parkin says he was in the country for three months on a tourist visa, holding peace workshops and anti-war protests.

He says he has no idea why he was targeted by the Immigration Department.

"I have completely no idea. I'm speaking out against the Government's policies supporting the war, the illegal war and occupation in Iraq."

Mr Parkin says he has been banned from returning to Australia for three years.

abrennan
Sep 16th, 2005, 09:01 AM
Court strikes out AWI's conspiracy application against PETA

The Federal Court in Sydney has struck out parts of Australian Wool Innovation's (AWI) case against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

But the court is allowing AWI to serve documents on PETA and its employees in the United States.

Justice Healy struck out AWI's conspiracy application and its application under Section 45DB of the Trade Practices Act against Ingrid Newkirk and two others.

AWI was relying on Section 45DB to argue PETA was using others to impede its ability to export wool.

However, Justice Healy granted AWI leave to serve court documents on PETA in the United States and several of its employees.

In a separate request, he also granted Western Australian wool-grower David Webster access to all court documents on the public record, in relation to the legal proceedings.

And he granted AWI's request to subpoena Channel 9's out-takes of the 60 Minutes program the station aired involving an interview with Ms Newkirk.

Directions were set down for November 11.

Kevster
Sep 16th, 2005, 10:11 AM
I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...

Of course he'd have to get in first.

Here's his home page:
http://pbskids.org/barney/

And something a little more strange:
http://www.jihad.net/

abrennan
Sep 16th, 2005, 12:07 PM
I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...


Why don't you come over Kev

we'll chuck you out

thye great thing about this country is that we not only lock you up in solitary confinement, without telling you why, but we charge you for that then charge you for the flight home then ban you from coming back for three years.

what a country

Antony
Australia and embarressed

Australia, we'll chuck you out like no-one else

adam antichrist
Sep 16th, 2005, 03:13 PM
I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...

Of course he'd have to get in first.

Here's his home page:
http://pbskids.org/barney/

And something a little more strange:
http://www.jihad.net/

Did you see the simpsons episode where homer is watching Barney singing:
"Two plus two isfour...two plus two is four...two plus two is four..."

And homer summing up all the hype about the show says "It's not that good"

Kevster
Sep 16th, 2005, 04:35 PM
Barney is a weapon of mind destruction....

Roxy
Sep 16th, 2005, 07:38 PM
Re: Scott Parkin



"The only threat that Scott could represent is a threat of embarrassment and exposure of a government that has supported the war on Iraq," Mr Murray told reporters.


That's it in a nutshell, right there.