Aurora Arboralis

The queer press since Mardi Gras has been dominated by reaction to the alleged use of excessive force by a police officer against a young gay men during an arrest:
I actually found this video very inspiring, because of the reactions of the people around to the incident. It made me realise how far we, as a community, have come.
First, of course, is the existence of the video itself. Despite repeated police commands to ‘stop filming’, the filming continued. The man taking the video and other people around knew their rights – they told the police they knew it was not illegal to film the incident. When the police continued to demand they stop filming, they kept asking, what law is there to make us stop? This appeal to law shows just how important faith in the rule of law is to a free society and to empowered citizens. Interestingly the police refused to be drawn on the legality of their actions, and continued to challenge the filming of the incident, and the witnesses continued to push back on the basis of legality. The police discovered that, “Stop filming . . . because I said”, really doesn’t cut it with empowered citizens.
Mind you, the guy taking the video also added, “I’m media, I’m allowed to film . . .” Clearly his faith in the rights of media to report on controversial police action was greater than his faith in his own rights as a citizen. But maybe this was also a strategic move to remind police that in these days where mass media avidly embraces amateur vision of newsworthy events, there is little distinction between the scrutiny of individual citizens and the scrutiny of the community as a whole, via the media.
More evidence of empowered citizens was the repeatedly stated intention to make a complaint, and the determined collection of evidence – filming police IDs, Jamie yelling, ‘What’s his name?’, filming the blood on the ground, testimony of witnesses, the clear verbal description of the events. However this was mixed with some scepticism about the effectiveness of making a complaint: “he won’t be punished, he’ll have an internal inquest, nothing will happen to the police officer who just slammed that guy’s head against the ground”. But they were determined to make a complaint anyway, to gather evidence, to do something.
Eventually the police gave up demanding they stop filming and instead asked – not ordered – people to move away: “you can film, just move away . . . for your safety and mine”. Interesting reframing from “because I said”, to an appeal to safety.
Wonderful young woman who hugged Jamie, tried to comfort him and help him calm down, but also wanted contact details of those who took videos so that a complaint could be made. Wonderful young (straight?) couple who advocated so strongly for Jamie and took the video, and refused to be intimidated by police. Wonderful bystanders who weren’t afraid to say what they saw. Empowered citizens, who believe in the rule of law not the rule of power and violence, prepared to stand up to the police because they actually believe in a system that says that even the weakest among us have rights.
But a sad note to end on: “That shit was uncalled for – gay community mate, they should be saving us”. Not so very long ago, LGBT folks expected oppression from the police – especially at Mardi Gras; they certainly would never have looked to police for protection from oppression. NSW Police have worked so hard, over a very long period, to deal with the homophobia in its ranks and to improve its relationships with LGBT people. Our mob have a long history of violent victimisation, at home and in the streets, which they didn’t report to police, fearing they would be ignored or further victimised. I hope NSW Police deals with this incident rigorously enough to rebuild the confidence of LGBT people that the police are on their side.