Victoria's Top Cops Face Class Action Over Pepper Spray Use in Anti-Mining Protest
A landmark decision in Melbourne's Supreme Court has ruled that Victoria police used excessive force when deploying pepper spray during an anti-mining protest in 2019. Climate protester Jordan Brown, who was sprayed twice by police, has won a significant damages payout of $54,000.
The trial, led by Brown's lawyer Fiona Forsyth KC, revealed the disturbing details of the October 30, 2019, incident outside the international mining conference. Police had attempted to arrest two activists scaling the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre when protesters clashed with officers. Two police officers deployed OC spray on a bystander who was unarmed at the time.
Held by Justice Claire Harris, the trial showed that Brown suffered physical injuries from the pepper spray and long-term psychological trauma as a result of the incident. The judge stated that these injuries were caused intentionally by police officers.
In a damning verdict, Harris ruled in favor of Brown's claims that Victoria police had breached internal policies, the Crimes Act, and human rights charter guidelines when using OC spray. However, she dismissed arguments from Brown's lawyers that this ruling could set a precedent for future cases involving pepper spray use by police.
Brown himself described being hit with pepper spray as "the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced" and said he checked out of his body during the incident. The decision marks a significant victory for climate protesters who have long advocated for greater accountability from law enforcement agencies when it comes to their use of force in high-pressure situations.
While police had argued that the OC spray was used as an "effective crowd dispersal tool," the court heard evidence that the substance's deployment in this specific case was entirely unjustified. Harris' ruling will likely have far-reaching implications for the use of pepper spray by police across Victoria and beyond.
A landmark decision in Melbourne's Supreme Court has ruled that Victoria police used excessive force when deploying pepper spray during an anti-mining protest in 2019. Climate protester Jordan Brown, who was sprayed twice by police, has won a significant damages payout of $54,000.
The trial, led by Brown's lawyer Fiona Forsyth KC, revealed the disturbing details of the October 30, 2019, incident outside the international mining conference. Police had attempted to arrest two activists scaling the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre when protesters clashed with officers. Two police officers deployed OC spray on a bystander who was unarmed at the time.
Held by Justice Claire Harris, the trial showed that Brown suffered physical injuries from the pepper spray and long-term psychological trauma as a result of the incident. The judge stated that these injuries were caused intentionally by police officers.
In a damning verdict, Harris ruled in favor of Brown's claims that Victoria police had breached internal policies, the Crimes Act, and human rights charter guidelines when using OC spray. However, she dismissed arguments from Brown's lawyers that this ruling could set a precedent for future cases involving pepper spray use by police.
Brown himself described being hit with pepper spray as "the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced" and said he checked out of his body during the incident. The decision marks a significant victory for climate protesters who have long advocated for greater accountability from law enforcement agencies when it comes to their use of force in high-pressure situations.
While police had argued that the OC spray was used as an "effective crowd dispersal tool," the court heard evidence that the substance's deployment in this specific case was entirely unjustified. Harris' ruling will likely have far-reaching implications for the use of pepper spray by police across Victoria and beyond.
I gotta say, it's pretty wild to think about how one person can be sprayed twice with pepper spray just because they were standing near a protest. Like, what even is that? 
The fact that Jordan Brown got $54k in damages is a small victory, but it's still kinda messed up that he had to go through all this in the first place. And I'm not buying the whole "effective crowd dispersal tool" thing from the police. It sounds like just an excuse for them to use force whenever they feel like it. 
The fact that the judge basically said the cops used excessive force and broke some rules is a major win for climate protesters, but I still think there's more work to be done to hold law enforcement accountable. 
! I mean, $54k is a small price to pay for being brutalized by the boys in blue, but still. It's about time someone took the cops to task for using that stuff on unarmed protesters. What's next? Are they gonna start spraying people at music festivals too? 
. And what about all the other protesters who got hurt during this whole debacle? Have we heard from them yet? 
! This decision is a major win for those fighting for climate action and holding law enforcement accountable for their actions. The idea that Victoria police used excessive force against unarmed protesters, including deploying pepper spray on an innocent bystander, is just unacceptable 
. Brown's story is a real eye-opener – who would want to experience being hit with pepper spray?! 
. The court ruling sends a clear message that police can't just use force without accountability 
! #PoliceAccountabilityMatters #ClimateJustice
i mean, 54k in damages is no joke 
and it's about time someone held them accountable for their actions 
jordan brown's story is so relatable - who hasn't felt like they were punched in the gut by an unpredictable situation? 
anyway, this ruling sends a major message to police forces everywhere that using pepper spray is NOT an acceptable way to deal with protests 
! $54k is like, what, a drop in the bucket? I'm all for accountability, but this ruling is gonna lead to some major changes, that's fo sho 
. And can we talk about how two cops used pepper spray on an unarmed bystander?! That's just wrong, man 
. The fact that they breached internal policies and human rights guidelines shows just how out of touch these officers were 
.
. Pepper spray being used on an unarmed bystander is just crazy 
. The fact that he got hurt physically and even experienced long-term psychological trauma... it's like, totally unacceptable 
.
. They've been fighting for change for so long, and it's good to see the law side with them on this one 
. I mean, police have to be held accountable when they use force like that... it sets a bad precedent if they can just get away with it 
. Will other cases involving pepper spray go to court now? 
. cops always say they're trying to protect us, but some of these tactics are straight outta horror movie 
. hope this ruling helps create some change in how law enforcement handles situations like this 
, and maybe it'll make them think twice before using pepper spray in the future 
. This decision is a huge win for climate protesters everywhere who've been subjected to police brutality on the job. It's crazy that it took all this time for someone to take Victoria cops to court over their excessive use of pepper spray in 2019. The fact that Jordan Brown has won $54,000 in damages and got some recognition is a great start, but I think we need more systemic changes to hold police accountable for their actions 
I'm so glad Justice Claire Harris ruled against the cops, those guys were being super aggressive with that pepper spray! 
. Anyway, it's nice to see someone getting justice for all the stuff they went through, hope it sets a precedent for other cases where cops use excessive force 
! We need more transparency and accountability from our law enforcement agencies, fam. This decision by Justice Harris is a major step in the right direction, but we still gotta keep pushing for change 
The fact that they used pepper spray on a bystander who was UNARMED is just ridiculous. It's like they thought they could just waltz in there and start macing everyone without any regard for their safety or well-being. Newsflash, police: we're not the bad guys here! We're fighting for our planet and what's right! 