Public assembly v health risks

香港警方反對及禁止昨天在維園紀念六四的集會, 參與的人不理會禁令, 昨晚聚集了。對於警方的禁令, 澳洲ABC電視台也訪問了兩個香港人, 其中一位是毛議員, 另一位是男士, 我沒看到名字, 但有點熟口面。兩位都批評政治打壓, 今天明報另有報導, 其中一段這樣講:

支聯會常委尹兆堅批評康文署配合警方行動，以鐵欄及鎖鏈圍起維園足球場，形容是「行政墮落」。尹稱政府早前因應疫情紓緩，放寬卡拉OK等場所限制，但拒絕支聯會以8人一組、每組相隔社交距離的方式集會；李卓人稱警方昨午在場外不斷警告，「只是想嚇人不要入去（維園），但最後不成功」。

我本來不打算評論, 因為能否放下六四這心結是很個人的, 完全談不上對錯, 甚至有人會提出另一真相, 我不花時間爭論這些, 我只想談我定的標題。在新冠病毒疫情下, 各國都訂立了抗疫措施和法例, 先禁聚集, 後來因應疫情放寬, 沒放寬大型活動的聚集是否政治打壓, 又是談到天長地久也沒一致定論的。 我拿出來講, 因為很多香港人愛把普世價值掛嘴邊, 但卻未必有打開眼晴看世界, 我寫這篇旨在分享, 不是為了批評。

新冠病毒在澳洲沒有肆瘧, 相比起很多地方, 疫情不算嚴重, 全澳疫情最嚴重的是紐省, 共有3110宗, 死了48人, 排第二的是維省, 1681宗病例, 死19人。也是這緣故, 這兩省在疫情放緩下放寬抗疫的措施也特別慢。Black Lives Matter運動在澳洲也引發一場反歧視訴求的運動, 主要涉及對原住民(Aboriginal Australians)的歧視。多個省份明天都會有大型Black Lives Matter集會。悉尼在現階段戶外公眾集會不能超過500人, 而每人要保持 2x2米的距離, 明天悉尼的集會會有1萬人出席, 有見及此, 省政府今午入稟高院申請禁制令, 禁止集會, 高院今晚批出了, 法官平衡了集會自由和抗疫的需要, 頒佈不准集會令。以下是ABC的文字報導:

Police in New South Wales have won a Supreme Court bid to prohibit Sydney's weekend Black Lives Matter march.

NSW Police took organisers to court, concerned the event would breach COVID-19 public health orders about large gatherings and social-distancing requirements.

Justice Desmond Fagan acknowledged he was balancing the recognised right of public assembly against health risks, but ultimately said a rally of even 5,000 people was "a very undesirable idea" given the current health advice.

"The exercise of the fundamental right of assembly … is not taken away by the current public health order, it is deferred," Justice Fagan said.
.....
Justice Fagan acknowledged the rally's aim was to raise awareness about Indigenous deaths in custody, among other issues.

"There is no doubt that cause is one that is widely supported in the community and with great strength and feeling," he said.

But he said granting a court order to allow the rally would amount to "a defiance of a judgment that has been made by ministers of the government and the public health officials that advise them".

撇開六四紀念會受中央打壓不看, 只看抗疫的因素, 民主國家也這樣做。維省就連禁制令也不申請, 呼籲市民不要參加, 維省警務處長揚言會向違反禁聚令的人發告票, A$1600一張。疫情較輕的省份就處理寬鬆, 容許集會。所以, 一講政治打壓, 就連國安法等一起扯進去, 紐省及維省就只能扯疫情的風險來講。若明年疫情減退後, 六四集會不能舉行, 才可對政治打壓蓋棺定論。