Update : Chilling: Queensland’s war on civil liberties, Robert Corr, overland, October 22, 2013. ‘Indeed, the Queensland laws have been drafted in scatter-gun fashion. None of the legislation is limited to bikie gangs. The Vicious Unlawful Association Disestablishment Act, for instance, includes references to ‘any other group of 3 or more persons by whatever name called, whether associated formally or informally and whether the group is legal or illegal’. The Queensland Law Society notes this could include sporting groups and book clubs; the onus will be on the accused, rather than the state, to prove that ‘the relevant association is an association whose members do not have as their purpose, or one of their purposes, engaging in, or conspiring to engage in, declared offences’.’
Ah, Queensland …
Late last week the illiberal LNP government passed three pieces of legislation (now Acts) intended to stop bikies in their bloody tracks: the Criminal Law (Criminal Gangs Disruption) Amendment Bill (PDF), the Tattoo Parlours Bill (PDF) and finally the frightfully Orwellian Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Bill (PDF). (See : New laws target criminal gangs.) Law-talking guy Greg Barns reckons the laws are unsporting and Queensland’s ‘war’ on bikie gangs goes too far (ABC, October 17, 2013); law-talking guy “Peter Shields plans to bring a High Court challenge against the “unconstitutional” laws as soon as possible”.
Meanwhile:
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The QLD state government’s Criminal Law (Criminal Gangs Disruption) Amendment Act contains an official list of 26 OMCs declared criminal organisations. See if you can spot Them from the list below …
• Bandidos • Beatles • Black Uhlans • Bloodhound Gang • Bonnot Gang • Brotherhood of Mutants • Coffin Cheaters • Comancheros • Coordinating Committee for the Refoundation of the Fourth International • Dead Ringer Rosies • Dolls of Hazzard • Finks • Fourth Reich • Fifth Reich • Gang-gangs • GANGgajang • Gang of Four • Gladiators • God Squad • Gypsy Jokers • Hatfields • Hells Angels • Highway 61 • Iron Horsemen • Jets • Kelly Gang • Kool & The Gang • Life and Death • Lone Wolf • McCoys • Mobshitters • Mongols • Monkees • Muslim Brotherhood Movement • Neighbours • Nomads • Notorious • Odins Warriors • Outcasts • Outlaws • Phoenix • Queen Bees • Rebels • Red Devils • Renegades • Rock Mobsters • Scandal’Us • Scorpions • Sharks • Toxic Avengers • Vibrating Bum-Faced Goats • Wiggles …
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In the episode of SOA titled ‘Patch Over’ (Season 1, Episode 4), blonde surfer-looking d00d Jax reads from his father’s diary:
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Emma Goldman was more dangerous than a thousand bikies …