A snap protest outside Victorian Parliament, on July 30, opposed Labor’s bail “reform” laws and called on it to implement an alternative series of reforms known as Poccum’s Law, which include the removal of the presumption against bail and for remand to be a last resort.
The rally was called by the Victorian Legal Service and Flat Out.
Protesters said the proposed laws will raise the prison incarceration rate and disproportionately affect marginalised communities, including First Nations people and people of colour.
One speaker called out the government for claims it cares about public safety. They said if it was serious, it would commit to improving the state of mental health and access to housing.
Victorian Greens and Legalise Cannabis MPs attended. Southern Metropolitan Greens MP Katherine Copsey called on Premier Jacinta Allan to rethink the laws. She said the Greens want evidence-based solutions, including funding for early intervention, preventative services and the implementation of Poccum’s Law.
Yuin woman Aunty Vickie Lee Roach condemned the new laws, describing the disproportionate impact incarceration has on First Nations people. She also called for the police to be defunded and prisons to be abolished.
Apryl Day, Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba and Barapa Barapa woman and campaigner against Black deaths in custody, said more than 600 First Nation’s people had died in custody since the 1991 royal commission. She said Allen’s new harsh bail laws would contribute to that shocking statistic.
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