SYDNEY, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state government of Queensland will create a new criminal offence to target protesters who adopt extreme tactics.
Announced on Tuesday, the new powers are aimed at stopping protesters who use interlocking devices to make it harder for police to move them away from public thoroughfares and infrastructure.
Brought in as a response to a wave of incidents where vegan demonstrators have chained themselves to farming equipment, there have also been other examples in recent months where environmental activists have blocked off roads with these "dangerous devices".
"No-one disputes the right of people to protest peacefully and lawfully, it's a bedrock principle of our democratic society," Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan said.
"The changes to the law we are introducing will have no impact on the ability of anyone to protest lawfully."
"But the actions we are witnessing now are not protests."
"What we are seeing now from these extremists is a flagrant disregard for the law and the rights of others."
Under the new law, it will now make it illegal to possess such devices and police will be granted the power to search a person or vehicle suspected of carrying one of these devices.
"What we are seeing is a cohort who, by their actions, clearly take the view that their opinions and beliefs override the legal rights of others," Ryan said.
"These extremists willfully disrupt the right of others to go about their daily lives without interruption."
"This is contrary to the shared values of our democratic society and this extreme behavior will not be tolerated."
