Oil leak

I need to fix it for thursday night so I can get to the full throttle night

More

Biker Breakfast

14 Oct was Breakfast at Cooky Boys it was a great turn out after that we headed off to Mornington Peninsula Brewery.  More to come

Mmm

We lost something

Bit of an accident on the way back to the barracks

Damien Codognotto OAM protest ride

PROTEST RUN 4

The PROTEST RALLY against:

1. The flouro vest law proposed by Victoria Police.

2. The compulsory boots, pants, jacket & gloves law proposed by Police.

3. The return of front number plates (and/or stickers or tags) proposed by several officials and Police.

4. Anti-association laws proposed by the Victorian Attorney General.

will go ahead.

WHEN:  from NOON on Monday, October 29, 2012. That is the day after the Phillip Island GP so many    riders will be in the state and a lot of media.

SPEECHES: 12.30 pm to 1 pm. Speeches will be kept short becaus many riders will have to get back to work.

WHERE: A'Beckett Street, Melbourne in the Elizabeth Street motorcycle precinct.

LAPS: After the speeches many riders will have to return to work. Those that don't can do laps of the  city raise awarenress of motorcycles & scooters in traffic and the issues they face. Suggested route. Elizabeth Street, left in Collins, left in Spring past Parliament House, left in Victoria and left back into Elizabeth.

All usual road laws apply. Road safety is the highest priority.

Rides in from key points should be organised. Cranbourne to guide riders from the Phillip Island races is important as is Geelong, Melton, Sunbury, Campbellfield and Lilydale. Maybe Brunswick HOG could organise a ride from Highway 31? Petrol Stations are usually good assembly areas. I'll put the details here as organisers contact me.

The Scooter Association clubs are supporting the PROTEST.

Aussie flags and club banners should be flown proudly. They attract the media and show the public that we are united, well-organised and we care.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
Tel: 03 9846 8621

Dark Times ahead

O'Farrell Government weakens 'right to silence' laws.

The 'right to silence' laws exist as a protection for accused persons who were often, and in

some periods of history, always, being tortured to obtain a confession. A confession

obtained under the threat of violence or by actual violence is now inadmissible in any trial

or hearing. However, prior to the 'right to silence' existing, many if not most confessions

were obtained by the threat of or more often actual violence or torture.

The 'right to silence' is not absolute. There are many Acts in which there are sections

which deny a person the 'right to silence'. The Australian & NSW Crime Commission Acts

are the most notable examples. There are many others.

For some unscrupulous police, beatings have been replaced with threats. Threats to

charge the accused person's partner is the most obvious. Or threats to have community

services remove their children. Threats don't leave obvious bruises and they are not

picked up by video records of interview. (ERISP) Threats are made before any video

machine is turned on. And unless the threat is admitted an accused person has buckley's

chance of proving it was made.

It is in this light the O'Farrell government seeks to weaken the existing 'right to silence'

protections that we now have. It is one more step in whittling them down to almost nonexistence.

While the suggested changes, of themselves, appear innocuous enough, it is

one more step in reducing our rights. With the consorting, criminal association & other

non-association laws coming into existence recently our civil liberties are being perilously

reduced to those of third world countries.

While these changes appear innocuous, the reality is accused persons or persons of

interest are being asked to forgo their 'right to silence' at a time when they are under high

stress and immense pressure from police to speak to them. Psychologically, these persons

are not in a position to think clearly. And if they make any mistakes or get any facts wrong

they will be cross-examined about these at a subsequent trial to their detriment. The reality

is, if these changes are made then persons will, effectively, have to give up their entire

'right to silence', they will not be able to give up part of them.

But also, these changes can be self-defeating as any smart criminal will pre-arrange his/

her alibi before committing a crime, thereby defeating the changes and increasing their

chances of getting away with the crime.

The need for these changes has, yet again, been blamed on the need to curtail Outlaw

Motorcycle Club drive-by shootings. But, the police have said on numerous occasions that

the only drive-by shootings attributable to OMCs was a couple of associates of 2 clubs.

The other 24 odd clubs in Sydney and their 950 odd members have no role whatsoever in

these shootings or in organised crime.

The government must re-think these proposed changes as we have considerably more to

lose than we have to gain.

WAYNE BAFFSKY

Honarary Counsel, United Motorcycle Council (NSW)