News & Views

Police Tactics

Legal Observer Report: The Policing of the Disrupt Land Forces (DLF) Protests

This report details areas of concern from observations made by Melbourne Activist Legal Support across the four days of protests at the Disrupt Land Forces expo, including police use of force and weaponry, special powers, arrests, treatment of legal observers, media narratives and strategic misinformation.

Read More

What is ‘kettling’ & why is it such a problem?

Kettling is a controversial containment technique used by police during protests that has the purported purpose of de-escalating tensions, but has come under heavy criticism for having the opposite effect. It involves the police confining protesters (and sometimes bystanders) to a specific area, with those caught inside only being able to leave at the decision…

Read More