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?
John , i for one posted comments online in this forum at the time of the Blacktown hate crime questioning why the NSW Police continue to be allowed/invited to march in our gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade. I know many other community members have been of this opinion for a long time …way before the sniffer dogs at Sleaze09. I think you underestimate our community re. the collective outrage over the Police actions at Sleaze…its not about being sniffed its about inappropriate use of Police resources at our events , which have always been traditionally peaceful..
.in contrast many of the straight dance parties are not peaceful with assaults,alcohol and recreational drug abuse.
Much as Oxford street used to be peaceful and non violent when it was a gay and lesbian precinct and before it was swamped by the dominant heterosexual culture.
chris (of November 2nd, 2009 @ 6:51 am), Yes there were plenty of letters to the editor when the Blacktown incident occurred. But i dare you to find ONE reference to not letting police march in the parade because of it. The truth is people only got upity AFTER Sleaze Ball, and that is about being sniffed, NOT about police inaction over homophobic crime!
With the slogan ‘cops are Tops’ we can’t afford to lose the police from Mardi Gras.
To the comments above…We are the soft targets.At a party having fun.And no not all of us have to take drugs to be at a party.The facts are there in written law cases in case you above don’t believe what happened.And also read peoples letters and experiences.. maybe you would learn something.And just in case you have any more stupid arguments to bring up…why may I ask have the police particularly the head of police SPT ADNEY at Surry Hills not responded…AT all.Makes you think doesn’t it.Especially when the Surry Hills command is right in the middle of the biggest G+L areas in Australia.You’d think we were back in the 70’s.
BTW I still think we should put our energy into trying to fix the problem rather than deciding what to do in February if we can’t and the Police nonetheless apply to be in our Parade. Write to your MP.
Angays and Acceptance march in solidarity with us and in opposition to those within their institution, ie the Church, who would oppress us. That is not the message of the NSW Police Force entry (and in fairness we could not expect that). Rather it promotes the institution.
Ben, We don’t allow ‘the Catholic church’ or ‘the anglican church ‘ to march. We allow G&L groups within those churches such as Angligays or Acceptance who are gays and lesbians who happen to be Catholic or Anglican to march. I remember the first time that the police marched. It was quite a big thing as it was a representation of how the relationship between our community and the police had changed. They had started taking gay bashings more seriously, had set up GLLO’s, would talk to the AVP, were willing to talk to the community re our needs etc. Well things have changed again, but this time for the worse. If you look at the reported police response (or lack of) to a number of serious gay bashings, the heavy handed treatment of partygoers especially policing the medical areas at the party then it seems we have a retro thing happening ie we have gone back to the bad old days of us vs them, rather than all of us working together. If a support group for GLBT police officers exists, I would be happy to have them march in the parade but they would be representing that workplace group and not the Police Force. Unless the attitude of the police force changes I would not welcome a group representing that force in my parade.
As far as police deliberately targetting gays, I think a good example is the “All Gay P&O 3 day Cruise” a few years ago. These cruises leave every three days normally packed with straights on board and have NO sniffer dogs…. yet on the “all gay” cruise, where there police with sniffer dogs checking every single person who boarded. (The police even had copies of the “program guide” of the gay cruise in their hands). Just this one example requires an explanation in itself of how gays were targetted.
I personally don’t take drugs & the cruise was great without seeing any evidence of them…. but I had spoken to straight friends who left a few days later on the next (straight) cruise, with no sniffer dogs & said there were drugs everywhere on the ship all out in the open.
These straight cruises leave every week with little attention, yet the “all gay” cruise was slapped with media stories about a big “sniffer dog operation”. Why?
The “soft” target of booting out gay and lesbian friendly police officers from Mardi Gras is a pointless protest, occurring six months after Sleaze.
I’d suggest NMG gathers stat decs about specific behaviours on the night.
At the moment, we have rumours, second hand reports and unsourced allegations – all being quoted as facts.
This at least gives us evidence of bad behaviour and breaches of protocols to take up with Adney, Scipione and whomever heads up the dog squad (the Lead Bitch?).
From that, there is hope MG party can avoid a repetition of the antics alleged in the SSO.