Comments on: LGBTQI Activists & Artists Call For No Police At Mardi Gras

By: Shoaib

Shoaib — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 11:28:06 +0000

Signed.

By: David Byles

David Byles — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 07:17:05 +0000

Mardi Gras is about inclusion not exclusion. If we want inclusion in society we must do the same

By: Jane Marsden & Joy Marshall

Jane Marsden & Joy Marshall — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 01:47:56 +0000

We are activists who do not support the call to ban Police and Corrective Service Offices from the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) Parade. These are our reasons:

1. Front line police and corrective services personnel do not make policy – politicians and senior executive do.
2. Front line police and corrective services personnel do not create the organisational culture – politicians and senior executive do.
3. It took nearly 20 years to build a relationship with the NSW Police whereby communities can work together with the police to deliver a safe parade environment (our brother John Marsden was a strong mover and advocate for that cooperative working relationship). The first time the police marched was in 1998 – the 20th anniversary and they have been marching ever since.
5. For the most part that first contingent was made up of officers from the then recently establish Gay & Lesbian Officer Liaison group and their friends (the term ‘ally’ had not been coined in this context at the time).
6. You don’t fight a major battle by compromising other wins – you build on those wins.

We are GLBTIQ+ activists but our activism goes way beyond that. We have been to the BLM rallies this year and will continue to stand up for justice, and for the rights and freedoms of Australia’s First Nations People, the poor, the homeless, other oppressed groups, climate change and the environment. Each issue is unique and requires unique approaches and responses.

By: Fanny McCormick

Fanny McCormick — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 22:27:55 +0000

…..and when the red-necks, the bigots, the findamentalist Christians and others who Hate, for Hate they do, decide to attack the parade who will it be who will be called upon to come to our recue? The Police. For years the NSW Police have been supportive of Mardi Gras and YES there have been instances of appalling behaviour by some police BUT Not All when prople – and NOT just the descendants of the First Immigrants – have been ill-treated but isn’t it time we put aside our “I’m a Victim” attitude. Strange isn’t it? All we ever hear about are the numbers of Descendants of the First Immigrants who have died in custody but there is never, ever any mention of any others who have. A Conspiravy of Silence? All Lives matter.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 22:22:33 +0000

So not the way to go IMO.

Why alienate the Police ?

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 22:15:48 +0000

What a stupid idea, of course we need police at Mardi Gras, look how many straight people are drunk every year and cause trouble.

By: Fair cop!

Fair cop! — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 02:21:28 +0000

“Australian police would not be blackbanned from every slaughterhouse over treating the livestock in the same manner American law enforcement has been fooling around live on news cameras this year!”

By: matthew

matthew — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:53:43 +0000

So to be consistent Mardi Gras should be under the same rules that apply to all large public gatherings. IE a ban on events

Good luck with the ginger group’s next push to get rid of liaison officers.

Maybe we should be pushing for repeal of legalisation.

By: Lachlan

Lachlan — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:55:34 +0000

The cops aggressively and pettily disrupted the Protect Trans Kids Rally the other week. MG should have nothing to do with them.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 09:06:57 +0000

We have for many years argued that outlawing or banning never resolves any issue, engaging & compromise can. Instead of banning why not compromise in that no uniforms are worn by any group. Instead participants wear street casual attire or float costumes with sections announced by banner.