{"id":607,"date":"2007-03-05T02:55:10","date_gmt":"2007-03-04T16:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=607"},"modified":"2007-03-05T02:55:10","modified_gmt":"2007-03-04T16:55:10","slug":"s11-13-million-for-lawyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=607","title":{"rendered":"S11: $1.3 million for lawyers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hmmm. Six-and-a-half years later, lawyers<\/a> from Slater & Gordon<\/a><\/strong>, representing 47 litigants, have earnt themselves $600,000, and Government lawyers have earnt themselves $700,000, following an out-of-court settlement over allegations of police misconduct at S11<\/a><\/strong>. As for the 47 protesters who took part in the class action, they may now celebrate an early retirement… well, providing that they are exceedingly<\/em> frugal with the approximately $2,000 each will receive (on average) for being subjected to police violence — including broken bones — in the course of taking part in legal protest activity.<\/p>\n

That a settlement of this kind has finally been reached, and lawyers have pocketed $1.3 million dollars, is unsurprising, and predicted. So too, the opportunity the settlement presents for media hacks to reinforce the counter-narrative established at the time of S11. Thus Chris Tinkler and Kelvin Healey’s lies (see below<\/em>) regarding the supposed fact that “Protesters spat at and poured urine on police and hurled ball-bearings, marbles, nails, nuts and bolts”<\/a>; lies of the sort repeated<\/a> in regards to more recent protests against the G20<\/a><\/strong> last November.<\/p>\n

‘Taxpayers fund secret compo payout for S11 rioters’ \/ ‘Protesters win compo’<\/a>
\nChris Tinkler and Kelvin Healey
\nSunday Herald Sun<\/em>
\nMarch 4, 2007<\/p>\n

PROTESTERS who clashed with police in the violent S11 [police] riots have been given a [not-so] secret payout by the Bracks Government in return for dropping legal action.<\/p>\n

The Government and Victoria Police have agreed to a $700,000 payment to protesters in the confidential deal.<\/p>\n

The cash is on top of $600,000 taxpayers have paid in fees for the Government’s solicitors.<\/p>\n

Forty-seven demonstrators and law firm Slater and Gordon will share the windfall. The lawyers are believed to be allocating about $600,000 to cover their fees.<\/p>\n

All parties in the legal dispute were tight-lipped about the deal yesterday.<\/p>\n

The protesters sued authorities after wild [police] riots outside the World Economic Forum<\/strong> at Crown Casino in September, 2000.<\/p>\n

Protesters spat at and poured urine on police and hurled ball-bearings, marbles<\/a>, nails, nuts and bolts.<\/p>\n

Those who sued alleged their injuries, including fractures to vertebrae, sternums and wrists, and shock and anxiety, were caused by police action.<\/p>\n

News of the payout has fuelled [completely irrational] worries that the S11 protesters’ success could prompt similar action from participants in November’s G-20 riots in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

It is understood agreement was reached when the event’s insurers — who will cover the payout — bowed to the prospect of even higher legal costs. And authorities caved in to concerns that even if they beat the protesters and were awarded costs, they would not have been able to get the money from them.<\/p>\n

S11 litigants included comedian Rod Quantock, serial protester Ciaron<\/a> O’Reilly<\/a> and an SBS TV cameraman.<\/p>\n

They alleged they were hurt when police cleared a path for WA Premier [1993–2001] Richard Court<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here Tinkler and Healey are referring to Dick’s attempts to reach the conference — contrary to police instructions — by driving through protesters on the morning of the first day of the conference. As the Tory remarked at the time: “I’m not interested in exotic forms of transport. If I go to a convention I like to roll up at the front door”. (Other delegates were forced to reach the conference by boat and\/or helicopter.)<\/p>\n

Unable to penetrate the crowds, Dick was trapped inside his car until police arrived. Before then, however, in one of the more memorable pieces of political poetry I’ve witnessed:<\/p>\n