All posts by RAC

Police have dropped charges against eight Refugee Action Collective Vic (RAC) activists who were fined for taking part in a car cavalcade on Good Friday 2020.

Refugee supporters had formed a COVID-safe motorcade to show support for Medevac refugees held inside the Mantra Hotel in the northern Melbourne suburb of Preston.

RAC spokesperson Lucy Honan said, “These fines should never have been imposed in the first place. They were part of a draconian and authoritarian reaction to the pandemic that saw the quashing of protest and dissent.

“Refugee supporters argued consistently that the health and wellbeing of refugees in detention could not be ignored until the pandemic was over.

“Our protests, including the cavalcade, were always COVID-safe. And our campaign was justified, with the Morrison government eventually freeing all refugees from hotel detention.

“Our only ‘crime’ was to show solidarity with the refugees. It’s a disgrace that the fines were imposed and that it’s taken three and a half years for the police to drop the charges. But today we stand vindicated.”

Honan said the police had charged about 30 people with not having a reasonable excuse to be outside the hotel even though the refugees were saying they were in urgent need of community support. Some activists had paid their fines while others were put on diversion orders with no fines after guilty pleas.

She added, “There is a growing trend by governments across Australia to attack the right to protest and to stand up for solidarity and human rights.

“Our victory today shows that protest is legitimate and necessary. The shocking moves by the Albanese government to undermine the High Court’s ruling to abolish indefinite detention is just the latest indication that Labor wants to keep every facet of the Liberals’ inhuman anti-refugee policies in place.

“RAC will continue to be on the streets arguing for permanent visas for the Medevac refugees and for all victims of Australia’s cruel border control policies.”

For background on the case, visit https://rac-vic.org/defend-the-right-to-protest-free-the-refugees/

Organisations that backed the campaign to drop the charges included:

• Maritime Union of Australia
• United Workers Union
• Australian Education Union Victoria Branch
• Health and Community Services Union
• CFMEU Construction & General Division VIC/TAS Branch
• NTEU Victorian Division
• ETU Queensland and NT Branch
• Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council
• RMIT University NTEU branch committee
• Federation University NTEU branch committee
• The Victorian Greens
• Tamil Refugee Council

Father Bob Maguire was an advocate for the poor, the homeless and those who were marginalised by society.

He was also a fierce advocate for refugee rights. 

Many will have seen him at the Park Hotel/Prison last year at age 87, when he entered the cage in solidarity with the men held in the Park.

Again last year, Father Bob accepted RAC’s invitation to speak at the MITA detention centre against the incarceration of refugees and the 501s. (See photo.)

Father Bob’s connection and advocacy with RAC dates back to 2017.

On 2 September 2017, RAC called an action outside State Parliament under the slogan, LET THEM STAY-MAKE THEM WELCOME-BRING THEM HERE.

The speaking list at the event was: Aran Mylvaganam – Tamil refugee; Andrew Giles – then shadow Immigration Minister; Dr Helen Driscoll – trauma psychiatrist; Shawfikul Islam – Rohingyan refugee; and a late inclusion, Father Bob.

A message was left by Father Bob’s assistant that he couldn’t speak at the protest because he had two weddings to perform on that day.

I called back to thank the assistant for getting back to me, but to my surprise Father Bob picked up the phone, we had a long chat and he asked lots of questions about RAC. 

At the end of our chat he said he would come and speak at the protest before the weddings, but warned he would need to make a quick getaway to make it on time for the weddings.

There was a huge police presence at the protest, nothing out of the ordinary, but what was extraordinary was that l had three policemen come up to me wanting to find out whether it was true that Father Bob was going to speak. It appeared they were fans.

Needless to say, the police on the day were quite friendly.

Thank you for you love and solidarity, Father Bob. Vale.

Helen Panopoulos, on behalf of RAC

On Tuesday 7 March the RAC activists who had been fined in 2020 for our car cavalcade outside the Mantra Hotel, to show support for Medevac refugees detained there, went to Heidelberg Court for a contest mention. We held a brief protest out the front.

The magistrate listened to our lawyer summarise our case: that we were exercising “care and compassion”, one of the permitted reasons for leaving the house, and that we were volunteering as RAC volunteers, again another permitted reason for leaving the house. 

The magistrate asked a few questions, and then asked the police why it was in the public interest to pursue us.

He told the prosecutor to go away and make phone calls to ensure that she really did have instructions to pursue the case. 

We came back after lunch to hear that yes, she really did have those instructions. She confirmed that our case was with “senior legal” because of its high profile. 

The magistrate set yet another mention for 5 May, one last chance for the police to drop it. 

Then the magistrate dealt with two of our party who wanted a sentence indication. He essentially gave them a “proven” with no sentence. So they don’t have to pay their fines, and they don’t have a “guilty” conviction recorded either. Another slap to the prosecutors. 

RAC activists don’t have to attend on 5 May, so there won’t be a protest. But once we have a date for the real hearing then we’ll welcome as many people as possible to stand up for the right to show solidarity with refugees.

Read more about the case.