G20 protesters raided by anti-terror police

Police from the NSW anti-terrorism unit joined Victorian police to raid the homes of political activists in Sydney as part of the fallout from protests against the G20 meeting in Melbourne in November. Four men were arrested and a fifth later surrendered to police.

Witnesses say that the police kicked in doors to perform the arrests, which were carried out simultaneously at 6am, while the men were still sleeping. Four of the men have been bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on March 20.

A spokesperson for the G20 Defence Collective, Paddy Gibson, said: "These actions by the 'Police Terrorism Investigation Squad' are a gross attack on democratic rights. That these police are even being used for protest matters is outrageous."

Emma Torzillo, also from the collective, said: "These raids follow on the heels of brutal police intimidation of protesters during recent actions against US Vice-President Dick Cheney, where we were physically stopped from demonstrating and two people were hospitalised."

[Dale Mills was a human rights observer in Melbourne during the G20 protests.]

From GLW issue 703