Hundreds of people gathered outside Victorian Parliament House on March 18 to oppose Victorian Labor's introduction of the toughest bail laws in the country.
The rally was called by the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC), Flat Out Inc, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Centre Against Racial Profiling.
They are opposing the laws because of their dangerous and discriminatory nature and their potential to harm First Nations people and young people.
Flat Out Inc argues the Jacinta Allan government’s proposal poses an unacceptable risk to human safety and criminalises the most vulnerable while abandoning public investment in care.
Protesters demanded the implementation of Poccums Law as an alternative to the Allan government’s proposal.
Poccum’s Law is supported by more than 56 organisations in the legal, human rights and health sectors and includes the removal of the presumption against bail, and that remand is only used as a last resort.
It was developed by the family of Veronica Nelson, a Gunditjmara, Dja Dja, Wurrung, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman who died in custody in 2020 after being refused bail.
Speakers at the protest included community lawyers, an Australian Services Union member, Victorian Greens MPs and justice campaigners.
Nina, from Formerly Incarcerated Girls Justice Advocates Melbourne (FIGJAM) Collective, said “these laws won’t make people safer, they will further criminalise the most marginalised sections of the population”.
Sarah Schwartz, from HRLC and part of the coronial inquest into the passing of Nelson, said the proposed new bail laws are "racist" and demonstrate that "the Allan government doesn't care about the safety of Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander children".
State Greens MP Katherine Copsey said the “Victorian Greens fully back the implementation of Poccum’s Law”.
A young Koori person told the rally that “bail saves lives”. “If it weren't for Koori court I wouldn't be alive to tell you about it today.”
Sophie Ellis, from Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, said “Jail harms children and our collective society".
Britney Yaguirre, from the Rights Advocacy Project, spoke against the Allan government’s expansion of police powers, which gives Victoria Police the power to stop and search individuals for perceived offences.
The Victorian government’s Tough Bail Bill passed in the lower house during the rally. Three Greens State MPs voted against the bill.
Allan said key parts of the legislation would be “fast-tracked” and start immediately. Labor is confident the bill will pass the upper house by the end of the week.
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