The Prime Minister’s comments yesterday regarding protest have outraged many, but it’s worth asking “why?” In response to the large March4Justice protests held in several major cities, Morrison took the occasion in parliament to say, “This is a vibrant liberal democracy, Mr Speaker, not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets, but not here in this country, Mr Speaker”.
The best spin that can be put on the PM’s words is that they are some sort of failed reassurance that protest in this country is “tolerated”. It is true that it is many decades since protestors or strikers have been shot at or killed in this country, but it is not true that protest is welcomed, its message taken onboard or truly tolerated. Increasingly, protests are highly regulated, granted permission to take place or not, curtailed on all manner of grounds, its organisers and at least some of the participants surveilled and harassed.
If, in the course of protest, participants are arrested for standing their ground and detained at the local watchhouse, there is a strong possibility they will be verbally and sometimes even physically abused. If charges are laid and the matter goes to court, a conviction is almost inevitable. Such a blot on a person’s record could prevent them from getting decent employment for several years. The lack of a job could lead to the lack of a roof over one’s head. This is the “tolerance” Morrison was alluding to.
What happens “behind closed doors” to people who are detained by police and prison authorities is a scandal in this country. Every now and then, its horror leaks out prompting a lot of pious handwringing and, if it is outrageous enough, a Royal Commission. This has happened in connection with the prison system and police forces in various states and, most notably, in regard to Aboriginal deaths in custody. Nothing changes fundamentally, if at all. It’s not supposed to. In a class exploitative society like Australia, people who come to the attention of these most fundamental of state forces are meant to experience fear. This goes for protestors, too.
Very occasionally, Australians have had a peek into the spying role of the capitalist state. In 1978, the Royal Commission that developed out of what was known as the Salisbury Affair was such an occasion. In the course of that investigation, it came to light that the South Australian Police Special Branch had dossiers on 41,000 residents of a relatively sparsely populated state. ALL of them were from the political left – members of the Communist Party, anti-Vietnam War protestors, anti-uranium mining activists, trade unionists and even members of the left of the ALP (when such a thing actually existed).
Police forces no longer have special branches; ASIO took over those functions, but there is no reason to believe their shadowy activities are conducted at a lower level than previously. In fact, their powers have increased and their capacity for spying on the political activities of the people greatly enhanced by technology.
The ACP is not reassured by the Prime Ministers sinister-sounding words. It sees them for what they are – a threat and a warning of worse to come as capitalism slides deeper into crisis. The Party will continue to protest the many attacks on the workers and other exploited people living in Australia and elsewhere. It will defend and assert the limited democratic rights won over many decades for the population through bitter struggle and strive to expand them. It will remain committed to achieving a socialist society where the working people, currently harassed and placed under surveillance, are masters of the country and their rights are guaranteed.
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