Bikies ride against proposed laws

In what rally organisers termed a show of "harassment and intimidation", Queensland
police converged on Saturday to monitor motorcyclists who took part in a 400km ride
to protest against the state government's proposed anti-bikie legislation.
The United Motorcycle Council of Queensland released its submission to the Bligh
government on its proposal to increase police powers on Saturday.
Council spokesman Malcolm Cole said he was breath-tested by a police officer en
route to the Royal Mail Hotel in Goodna, west of Brisbane, where the ride began and
ended.
"He'd been brought down from Toowoomba for what police had termed a special
operation," Mr Cole told AAP.
"They brought in a lot of police from around the state just to deal with a few bikers.
"I think it underlined the point very well about the kind of harassment and
intimidation that they already face from the police, let alone before the police get
handed massive powers and have their accountability taken away.
"I don't think we could've demonstrated the point nearly as effectively as the
police demonstrated it for us."
Mr Cole said that apart from the heavy police presence, the protest was
incident-free for the 400-odd bikers who participated.
The council's submission outlines the dangers it says the intended legislation
presents to the integrity of Queensland police and the potential for abuse by future
governments.
It also examines the views from legal, political and civil rights experts that
increased police powers are unnecessary and dangerous, particularly after police
commissioner Bob Atkinson recently described the behaviour of officers as the worst
in his memory.
Mr Cole said although the government had labelled the new laws as "anti-bikie", the
step-up in police powers and the reduction in legal scrutiny would adversely affect
all Queenslanders.
"In an attempt to make its new police powers legislation more presentable to the
Queensland public, the Bligh Government has made a scapegoat of the
motorcycle-riding community.
"The government has done a great job at masking the outcomes of these laws, but the
reality is that these laws will affect the rights of all Queenslanders."
Mr Cole said the council decided to produce the submission after the government went
back on its commitment to openness and accountability in relation to the laws.
"Despite promising public consultation, the government has opted to hold secret
discussions on the laws with only its hand-picked stakeholders."