Police will march in 2010 parade
New Mardi Gras will not act on community calls to stop NSW Police marching in next year’s parade.
Following public outcry over the police presence at Sleaze Ball last month, community members wrote to Sydney Star Observer calling for police to be banned from marching in the parade.
“We would prefer to enter into a constructive dialogue with police in the first instance before taking this into consideration,” NMG co-chair Steph Sands said.
She said NMG had raised community concerns over police handling of the night with Surry Hills Police Supt Donna Adney.
“Police have listened to our concerns but will of course continue their drug operations,” Sands said.
“We have requested more consultation and meaningful dialogue with them about how to minimise the impact of their operations on the amenity of our events, particularly at the entry areas, and have informed them of our intentions with regard to ongoing community consultation, and adding our voice to the overall debate and concerns across the whole community about the extent of police drug operations and how they are conducted.”
Sands said NMG’s control over the situation was minimal, but steps would be taken to reduce the effect on patrons next year.
“It is not within NMG’s power to dictate what kind of presence the police have at our events. We are in the same situation as other promoters,” Sands said.
“What we can do is: establish a more thorough consultation process with the police prior to our future events; review our entry area operations and proceedures to ensure we can better manage this kind of police presence; inform our patrons more effectively; and lobby and consult with other event producers and our own community organisations.”
Supt Adney was contacted, but declined to comment.
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Should NSW Police be stopped from marching in the Mardi Gras Parade?
Dont misquote me Peter, please [Peter October 28, 3:24pm]. I have not said you defended police, merely that you misunderstood their role.
And your original comment about “being there to work for the community” impliedly refers to police, not NMG.
If there is any ambiguity, you need to be more careful in future.
I have merely highlighted some of Police Force’s deficiencies, which need to be corrected, as in all other forms of public service.
And yes, these alleged breached should be referred to NSW Ombudsman with hard video evidence, provided by NMG. Get those cameras rolling!
NMG can also consider insisting on its legal rights and mark its parties off as private, not public events.
Police will then need to obtain a search warrant and produce it [or them] at the entrance to gain admission, otherwise tell them to “Go home and get a life”.
These warrants can also be appealed – at the time of execution at the party entrance if NMG are organised or clever enough – and overturned.
And any further on-site action by Police is then illegal: lock ’em up, I say.
Thank you.
it was not the police presence at sleaze, it was their behaviour. intimidating. over the top. arresting 40 and then cases dismissed in court yesterday.
searches in toilets but refusal to say where those people were, not being allowed to stay and comfort distressed young arrestees, and ticket confiscatins. and rain coats covering all ID.
police you are not welcome.
I think they should be allowed to march. These pro-gay individuals who want to march should be encouraged & supported for breaking ranks with the “homophobic heirarchy”.
It’s about change from within. What I would resent would be some of the controversial hierarchy in charge trying to march- but I doubt the have ever marched.
It’s like an MP crossing the floor- welcome these pro-gay police with open arms. What I would like to see is more about who they are, and whay they think about thier heirarchy.
Also, love the idea of the “police protest floats” directly before & after the police marchers. This would really emphasise the disconnect in these the police marching who support us, and the decisions made by heirarchy.
For god’s sake listen to yourselves, why shouldn’t the police march alongside us in Mardi Gras, most of the coppers I know, who march ARE GAY, and we have been trying to get better service and recognition from them for years…
The first Gay Bashing and you will all be up in arms that the police are not around for protection when you need them and why, I ask, because you have plumb up your fanny about police action at the dance parties and venues where they are only doing there job’s, to try and keep us from ourselves and the Gay acceptance that it’s alright to drug fuck ourselves out, over a dance party..
..Wake up you can’t have it both ways…
..We call for equality and acceptance in our life styles and then bite the ones who we DEMAND protect us in our Gay Abandance…
I say ‘LET THEM MARCH’. If we want to be OUT and PROUD, for who we are, why can’t THOSE, who are trying to do something to serve our community and give us our rights to be GAY, stand out in the community and show they are PROUD to protect and serve us …..
2 days before the mardi gras parade in march this year i was walking up oxford st, 3 meters ahead of me a glass was thrown out of a club, smashing a man in the face slicing open his throat, just a few meters away were some policemen. within seconds the man was receiving first aid…
Are you sure we want to reduce police presence during mardi gras?
I also went clubbing with friends in sydney and they thought nothing of offering me an “E”,i was glad i said no, because at the after party i saw 3 people being taken to the first aid station by police and med crews having o.d.
Are you sure we want to reduce police presence during mardi gras?
I am sure there are many families out there that still have mums, dads, and children due to the fact that police are using such a heavy hand in the fight against drugs, and people are not bringing illegal drugs to parties that they usually would.
peter I agree with you. However don’t you think Mardi Gras at least is trying to do something?
And I quite agree also with your previous comment.
I just think that instead of writing vicious comments against Mardi Gras people should be more constructive. I don’t know if NMG got lost of feedback and chose not to accept, I can’t comment on that because I don’t know.
Why people like to demonize Mardi Gras so much?
Anyway I have nothing to get over from. A whisper sometimes go a longer way than loud shouts do.
Fight for your rights any way you can.
Well is goodbye from me.
BENT COPS
A name for their mardi gras float? Gay cops,or corrupt cops? Is the police float only for GLLOs, and are thay all gay? I hear a lot of them are not, and become GLLOS as a path to a quick and easy promotion. And,they get paid whilst marching in Mardi Gras!
Perhaps they could have a pack of sniffer dogs as their theme, so they can ust the parade as well asthe party.
As long asthey turn a blind eye to anti gay violence and hgarass us, they are really no different from the bogans who come to the parade, then bash us afterwards.
Instead of booing them, or thowing graffitti, I will be throwing coins at them.
As for New Mardi Gras- forget asking Donna Adney to keep her dogs in their kennels. What about direct political action through out elected state member. Clover, will you be marching?…
OH and Peter just get over it.NMG has been given loads of feedback.They have obviously chosen not to accept it.So as this is a G+L paper I think this is the most appropriate place to have views published.If they can’t cop the criticism then its time for a big rethink.People are angry about what has happened and justifiably so.You don’t just sit back and do nothing.NMG need to grow up and realise where they have come from instead of pretending to be some quasi fun party organisation.And as for Australia being so wonderful with G+L rights.I don’t think so.Gay marriage should have been legalised years ago.Even a country like South Africa has gay marriage like 3 years ago besides all their constitutional rights too.So one has to question the relevance of NMG,the parade and the festival.What else do we have to do to get our proper rights.These ‘party incidents’ have opened up a can of worms that is not going to go away.The issue of the police thuggery at the party is just the lid of a huge list of problems that people are angry about.I hope that politicians and the like including the NSW police take note.We have had quite enough.
As a clarification AW.
When I said:”there to work with the community” I meant NMG not the police.
Maybe Melodiuos we have just had enough of stupid use of our tax money.You are living in a fantasy world if you think the police are protecting us against thuggery.It took months and front page newpaper articles for the guys in Blacktown to get anywhere.Just go out on Friday night on Oxford street and see what you think.The police may not be our enemy but they are hardly making any attempts to disprove the fact.And anyhow what has happened to all the GLO appointments?Have they just vanished.Funny that.
AW, I’m not defending the police. I come from a country that endured a military dictatorship for over 20 years and the police whether military or otherwise were the bad guys (some still are) and to this day I avoid eye contact with any police officer. However I see no point in being vicious towards Mardi Gras (not your case necessarily) for trying to have a dialogue with them. I agree their behave was deplorable on SB. However we have to put it in perspective. If you have drugs and get caught, why is that Mardi Gras responsibility? I mean don’t people realize possession of drugs are illegal? Come on! By the way, if anyone had any interest in the people who actually got arrested they would know that all 17 arrests plus the patrons from Parklife who were arrested for the same reasons that they day were in court yesterday and all of the cases were dismissed with nothing more than a lecture from the judge. So yes I agree that the police (the corp) are way out of line and should be spending time fighting serious crimes and protecting citizens (specially on Oxford St) but it still does not justify some people in our community being vicious towards Mardi Gras for trying to do what no other organisation (that I know of – please enlighten me if I’m wrong) gay or not, which is to come forward and start a dialogue with the police to find a common ground with less emotional damage to the party goers, specially to the ones who are demoralised in public and even arrested. What do people suggest Mardi Gras do instead of a dialogue?
My point is. Stop the sarcasm and the vicious attacks and send constructive feedback to Mardi Gras and contact the ombudsman with yet another complain about the Police wrong doings and bring it to national attention. Your rights are there to be used. Use them and stop moaning about it. Basically everyone criticizes Mardi Gras approach, but doesn’t offer much in return other than vicious comments. No wonder religious groups have more power than gay groups. They organise themselves and work together instead of clashing heads with one another.
How many of you actually wrote to Mardi Gras offering your support (not only feedback) to help put together an action plan for instance?
I’m very disappointed with some elements within the gay community in this city and country. But then again you probably couldn’t care less about how anyone else feels as long as you write your hateful or sarcastic comments on SSO or SX or SameSame articles.
OMG!1! The police suspected drug use at a party. They must be targeting us. Boo hoo. The police conduct drug searches etc at all major party events where they have GOOD REASON to suspect there will be drug activity.
Let them march. GLBT in the police as well as their supporters have every right to march. Do what we have always done, protest discrimination, heavy handed tactics etc.
The “police” are not our enemy and making them out to be just for conducting drug searches makes it look like people have something to hide.
How can we ever make things safer and make sure things like the Blacktown incident get followed up properly if we pit ourselves AGAINST the people we expect to PROTECT us against such thuggery?
Geez, police inaction over homophobic bashings won’t do it, but getting sniffed at by Sleaze Ball will! Where are our priorities????
what, Donna Adney declined to comment?? well that’s a first!!
What do we expect from the Police? Lets face it, they like the NMG are no rocket scientists! Just like the Ambulance Service etc it’s a boys club, run by old boys with their old boy attitude! The Ambulance Service doesn’t even bother to march!My opinion of NMG & ACON board – all self serving, name dropping twats who have nothing but their own egos to stroke. Lets not forget Mardi Gras is over two weekends next year – we let them get away with that cover up and we will continue to let things slide! The Police have a boss who is a elder in the Hillsong church cult – so naturally the evil in us homo’s must be purged and order re-established! I gave up on it all ages ago – tired of pushing a pea uphill with my nose. The law is the law – and I understand that drugs are illegal but why the police take it personal, be rude, bullish and testosterone in a uniform & shiny badge… there must be a better way?
There are gay and lesbians everywhere, even in the police force, as there are good and bad people.
Of course they should be allowed to march.
Peter [October 28 11:25am]is not correct.
Police are not “there to work with the community”.
This is pious nonsense.
They are a Police FORCE. They see their role as finding a law and then enforcing it, and having decided they have a guilty party, they use any lawful [and often unlawful] means to gain a conviction.
This is their cheap thrill.
They mistakenly believe they are both judge and jury.
In fact, their role is more Constable Plod-like: it’s to make an apprehension on the basis that a law may reasonably have been broken, that’s all, and then to let the judiciary deal with it.
They are simply gophers – they go looking for things and bring them in.
Its no wonder the latest 2008-09 NSW Ombudsman’s Report [p67] notes that complaints against police to the Ombudsman direct are virtually as high as complaints to police themselves about police.
That’s because nobody trusts Police: they are arrogant, ignorant, indolent and negligent.
And they lie.
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What a load of Bull. There is no meaningful dialogue with the police. What they want to do they do. I don’t knock the rank and file police officers, for the most part they do good work.. Well some. The agendas being pushed are those of their ultra conservative/hillsong loving Commissioner and the government anti fun team.
Instead of cleaning up our streets, lets face it Oxford St still ain’t that pretty or safe – our police waste valuable resources at dance parties to get some small time users. Pathetic. Go catch some real criminals Mr Scippi… Oh forgot thats too hard…
Inspector Adney continues to deny that her staff did anything wrong. Please – were you there to see how they acted. Perhaps you should be there and watch how your officers behave. Our parties are fun and non violent – any you come along with your guns, dogs and boots – you strip search us,ou humiliate and target us. Frankly it smacks of Nazi styled tactics. You don’t seem to bothered to do this at many of the venues in the city.
How old are you people? Of course a lot of change has happened since 1978. We all have more rights than we had then. Try living in a country where you are an outlaw just for being in love with someone of the same sex. Count your blessings before being so pessimistic and attacking a organisation that actually is there to work with the community. You are all complaining about the way police handled the searches during SB, and that’s fair enough. And Mardi Gras is doing what they can within the law and with diplomacy to guarantee more respect to its parties patrons. If you want more rights why don’t you contact the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, or even better your member of parliament? Some of you sound so barbaric and extremists. Banning the Police from marching in the Parade is only hurting our gay brothers and sisters who happen to have chosen to be police officers, not the Police department, which probably doesn’t give a damn about it. I wonder if Parklife patrons are being so hateful since they were also targeted. Is not a gay and lesbian issue only. Is a heavy handling of the upholding of the law against drugs, which last time I checked is illegal. Stop being so precious and start fighting for things that matter in a constructive way. Bashing Mardi Gras helps no one. Try helping for a change.
Nothing indicates how more out of touch gays and lesbians are with the general community if they ban police from marching.
What is this, a Stasi-style state?
How can one group justify their claims for equal rights if it they’re not prepared to give others the same?
Let them march I say – and suffer the consequences of booing and hissing.
And let Sydney Cop Watch “bring up the rear” with their own float.
I would be prepared to march in the 2010 Mardi Gras parade for Sydney Copwatch.
Are you?
Display suggestion: two or more massive eye balls on bouncy springs
Possible banners:
Sniffer dogs are drug slaves
We’re watching you
We like looking
Protesters have rights
Tasers kill: Cops are a cop-out
Police are public servants first and last
And with Marchers wearing massive, oversized, black-framed, Clark Kent-style spectacles.
Just a thought.
Ridicule is the best form of contempt.
http://www.sydneycopwatch.org
dalemills@cantab.net
mardi gras has NO balls, NO power, NO courage. it’s a bland tourism exercise, nothing more. let the police march. who even cares what happens to mardi gras anymore? it’s dead, it died years ago… i wonder how long it will take for NMG to even realise that it’s over.
What a load of waffle Ms Sands: “constructive dialogue”, “meaningful dialogue”, “thorough consultation process”.
These are the words you’d expect to hear from a politician seeking re-election. Well you’ve been elected, so how about doing something now rather than waffling on.
Do something active and real to give us a reason to go to Mardi Gras next year and feel safe not persecuted.
Otherwise you’ll be all alone under the mirror ball.
Having had my, and a number of friends Sleaze experience disrupted and frankly in many ways spoilt by the agressive, unpleasant and unnecessarily over the top Police presence – I for one am seriously considering I’ll even bother with the MG party next year – and I know I’m one of many! And honestly – if we as a community and our leaders in NMG are simply going to enter into a ‘dialogue’ and nothing more to make our perspective appreciated and understood – then I’m also hugely disappointed I renewed my membership last week. NMG – can I cancel my membership and get my money back? Personally I feel the police have no part to play – as individuals and involved in other floats and entries – wonderful! But to march as a group demonstrating support for the community? Please… give me a break!
David Guetta may well be coming to this 2010’s MG party.And what a party it will be be.Lets celebrate our hard fought gay marriage laws,our great civil rights and respect and not to mention our wonderful privacy laws.David Guetta and other performers may just want to meet the lovely drug sniffer dogs that are at the party too.
OH and what about the delightful policeman who will be in our parade.Perhaps Leni Riefenstahl should be invited too and film it for all of us to watch in a few years time.Oh and can it be in black and white just for effect.NEW MG,yah.It will be NEW NEW MG soon
Let them march. But put floats before and after them informing the public about the police’s attitude and actions towards gay people and other citizens of NSW.
The Mardi Gras is not reflecting the community it represents. The police is the reason why we are marching. Let the police stop the fights, glassing and erosion of our community by thugs and trouble makers instead of more harrasment and intimidation what we are marching against. The police have their own day to march.
YES – Of course they should be allowed to march.
Isn’t it about individuals showing their acceptance. I think restricting people from marching is the polar opposite to what Mardi Gras Parade is all about.
Nothing illustrates more how out of touch with the gay and lesbian community Mardi Gras has become than their decision to not act on community calls for the NSW Police to be banned from marching in OUR parade!
To allow the police to march in the Mardi Gras Parade effectivly sanctions the increasing heavy handed actions by the NSW Police of our events which are traditionaly peaceful and non violent events.
What has changed since 1978 when NSW Police charged into our march bashing and arresting scores of gays and lesbians before locking them up in the darlinghurst police station and then supplying the names and addresses to the press for further shaming? Not much at all ,except now Mardi Gras effectivly sanction the stormtrooper tactics by the police at our parties supporting the erosion of our civil liberties not only as gays and lesbians but as NSW citizens.
Shame on you Mardi Gras the path you are going down will surely result in your demise . You may as well invite the NSW Police Band to do the midnight show that way their comrades on the dancefloors with their sniffer dogs will have something to groove to!
why don’t they just do something USEFUL with their resources, like stopping some real crime. after all haven’t they already had the pleasure of meting out decades of abuse, harassment and beatings to the GLBTG community and gotten away with it while we have just had to bite our tongues and endured. where’s OUR “SORRY”?
Oh my god. If you lie down with dogs you get fleas. We have been consulting with the police for far too long with very little change. Look at the history of the police in this country. So yes come to our parties, humiliate and unnecessarily target, strip search us , hey and then you know what, come march in our parade. Which incidently we wouldnt have if you hadnt bashed us in the first place. Did they ever apologize for that. What has happened to mardi gras and what are you smoking??/