Back in 2004, the anti-GE crowd were concerned that the Terrorism Suppression Act could be used against them. But the response of the police was clear:
Harry Quin, Wellington crime manager, is incredulous at the use of the tag. “You and I both know what real terrorism is,” he begins, adding wryly that “unfortunately, we don’t have any governance about how the media, or how their opponents, will tag GE activists. I can assure them that their actions will not be considered as terrorism.”Last month, that same Harry Quin was serving warrants in the police's raids against Maori, greens, and peace activists. It seems those fears were entirely justified, and the police's claim to know what real terrorism is and to be able to distinguish it from political dissent simply PR.
The mesage is clear: when the police say "this law is broad, but you can trust us to implement it properly and without infringing upon people's rights", we simply can't.
