Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS)

Training and resourcing activists & fielding legal observer teams since 2011 🦺✊
#FundTheFrontline of human rights protection:

[CIVICUS @CIVICUSalliance]

🇦🇺Australia: Police arbitrarily arrested & used excessive force against protesters demonstrating against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the country.

We call for an investigation into the abuses & for police to be held to account
https://t.co/mw70S3gqXV

[CIVICUS Monitor @CIVICUSMonitor]

🇦🇺#Australia: The state of #civicspace is rated as 'narrowed'

Ahead of its UN human rights review, the authorities have continued to disrupt #protests, criminalise #protesters and use excessive force

More here: https://t.co/kdXu8aOeT3

[CIVICUS @CIVICUSalliance]

🇺🇳Ahead of @UN's Universal Periodic Review (#UPR51), CIVICUS & partners submitted reports on 🇷🇼Rwanda, 🇳🇵Nepal & 🇦🇺Australia highlighting #civicspace violations & threats to human rights defenders.

We call on member states to push for concrete reforms
➡️https://t.co/8x0XRzYO7O

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

@9NewsAUS Human rights groups have called for these weapons to be banned in Victoria for this very reason. https://t.co/psXSKOe9aV

[9News Australia @9NewsAUS]

U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News

LATEST: https://t.co/l5w7JxixxB

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

Clear evidence of how police use these weapons indiscriminately around the world. KIP (Kinetic Impact Projectile) weapons need to be banned in Victoria. @withMEAA @SonyaKilkenny #vicpolwatch #protectprotest

[9News Australia @9NewsAUS]

U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News

LATEST: https://t.co/l5w7JxixxB

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

STATEMENT OF CONCERN
'Abolish the Police - Our Safety in Our Hands' rally, 9 May 2025

Legal observers (LOs) documented:
• misuse of designated area powers
• excessive police resources
• aggression toward protesters & LOs
🔗https://t.co/hqI1D5mM9C

#VicPolWatch #ProtectProtest

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

5/5

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘!📢
Victoria Police have declared a designated area in Melbourne's Parliament House precinct on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟲 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟴𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝟳.𝟱𝟵𝗽𝗺. Info about police powers & your rights in a DA below👇🧵1/5
#VicPolWatch

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

4/5

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

Ping @davidHRLC @LibertyVic @FitzroyLegal @Police_Acc_Proj @amnestyOz @amnestynl @hrw @DGavshon @Ginitastar @cvoule @UN_SPExperts @MaryLawlorhrds @CIVICUSMonitor @CIVICUSalliance @josefroy2 @netpol @LegalObsNsw @TamarHopkins2 @IMelbCL @APAN4Palestine @FPMelbourne @ChangeCommons

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

DID YOU KNOW? 🤔
Everyone in Victoria has the #RightToProtest regardless of citizenship or visa status.

NEW ACTIVIST GUIDE!✊
Protesting in Victoria – a guide for visa holders and people who are not citizens

View or download the guide here:
https://t.co/gAAM22UQa2
#VicPolWatch

[Illan rua Wall @ruawall]

Absolutely delighted to announce this Protest Legal Observer project with @ICCLtweet is up, with immense help from @ActivistLegal Vicki Sentas @CianOConcubhair & others. If you're interested in training as a legal observer in Ireland, please get in touch. https://t.co/1desoYNIb8

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

@ruawall @ICCLtweet @CianOConcubhair Well done! A very exciting and important initiative. It looks fantastic!

[Human Rights Law Centre @humanrightsHRLC]

Victoria’s hate crime laws should protect communities while upholding our right to freedom of expression.
Senior Lawyer @ArifHuss explains why a public interest defence is key to striking that balance in @theage. https://t.co/VSgEkniylF

[Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) @ActivistLegal]

MALS Legal observers were on site, recording & gathering evidence & are now key witnesses in this case. Our detailed report can be seen here: https://t.co/DF7A6TIbki #VicPolWatch #OCSpray

[9News Melbourne @9NewsMelb]

A class action against Victoria Police has begun with protesters suing the force over the use of capsicum spray, claiming it amounted to assault and battery. @penelopeliersch #9News

[Amnesty International @amnesty]

German authorities must stop their crackdown on speech and protests and the discriminatory restriction of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

#ProtectTheProtest ✊

[CIVICUS @CIVICUSalliance]

#CIVICUSLens: Check out our latest interviews!

🇿🇼 proposal to extend presidential terms in #Zimbabwe
🇦🇺 #Australia's increasing right to protest restrictions 🇩🇪 rise of #Germany's Right-Wing party
🇬🇼 the political crisis in #GuineaBissau

Learn more at https://t.co/FoHR5clhnw.