The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is considering a request to make a comment on the eviction of Occupy Melbourne, Australia.
“We emailed Human Rights Officer, Pol Planas asking if the United Nations because the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle will not respond to us.” Said Occupy Melbourne member Carl Scrase
“We have a right to express our concerns in our public spaces, as outlined in both the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and implied in the Australian Constitution.” Said James Muldoon who is one of the litigants taking the City of Melbourne to court of their handling of Occupy Melbourne.
All three of the City of Melbourne Councillors who supported the original call for an independent inquiry have reconfirmed their support.
“At Council I also put forward two motions so that everyone could better understand the events that occurred around the Occupy Melbourne eviction. Disappointingly neither Motion was past and we missed the chance for an important conversation not only within Townhall but across the community.” Said Dr. Cathy Oke, Councillor City of Melbourne
“I remain of the view that an independent inquiry and the report would have been most valuable in clarifying the complexities of this event and that Council failed to take this opportunity to learn from the way this event evolved in case Council should face a similar event in the future.” Said Dr. Jackie Watts, Councillor City of Melbourne
“I also supported a request for a report detailing the chronology of the key City of Melbourne actions and decisions leading up to the eviction in order to clearly understand the facts and to set the record straight. My position has not altered.” Said Jennifer Kanis who is now the State Member for Melbourne.
Professor Spencer Zifcak President of Liberty Victoria has added his voice saying “It is a serious matter when fundamental rights of this kind are displaced in favour of commercial considerations as happened in the case of the Occupy Melbourne protest”
Dr Alison Parkes who is the Greens candidate in the upcoming elections attacked Doyle in a recent policy announcement saying “The role of Lord Mayor must not be one of silencing dissent”.
The Occupy Melbourne Legal Support Team is in the process of compiling a qualitative multimedia report into peoples’ experiences of the policing of the eviction of Occupy Melbourne from City Square on 21 October 2011.
