Police powers questioned after night club raid

By Scott Lewington

MELBOURNE -- Forty armed police burst into popular city gay and lesbian nightclub, Tasty, on August 7, detaining 463 patrons and staff for up to three hours and strip searching everyone. The raid has been acknowledged as an attack on the gay and lesbian community and a gross violation of human rights.

Police spokespeople claim that the raid was done in a “friendly” atmosphere and by the book, however, patrons report being strip searched in front of each other and accuse the police of making homophobic comments throughout the raid.

Police allege that the raid was part of their “war on drugs” but only eight arrests were made, not all of them drug related. The police have been accused of abusing their powers, indecent assault, battery, wrongful detainment and of forcing patrons to stand with their hands against the wall “Los Angeles style” for up to half an hour before being informed about what was to happen to them.

Police minister Pat MacNamara was forced to ask for an explanation from his police commissioner, after his and the ombudsman for the police complaints' office had been inundated with calls from patrons who said they were humiliated by the incident.

A meeting was convened at Democrat Senator Sid Spindler's office wher 50 representatives of the gay and lesbian community set up an action group called Casualties Of Police Intimidatory Tactics. COP IT has pledged to “work towards the goal of ending police harassment and upholding the basic fundamental of human rights”. Greg Connellan of the Fitzroy Legal Service said his office had received many complaints and is calling for immediate amendments to the Crimes Act to require police to justify to a magistrate why they should be allowed to strip search a member of the community before obtaining a court order to do so.

On August 9, the Fitzroy Legal Service, Criminal Law Bar, COP IT and others held a press conference and called for legislation preventing such police tactics. COP IT wish to hear from as many people as possible that were present at the raid and are willing to make statements about their ordeal. They can be contacted through JOY-FM on (03) 690 0907.

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