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Three fans 'humiliated' by police treatment at Roosters-Cowboys match
September 23, 2014 - 8:22AM
Rachel Olding
Three football fans said they were "furious and humiliated" after being detained at a rugby league match for using their mobile telephones in a manner an onlooker deemed suspicious.
Dozens of people who claim they were unfairly swept up by authorities in the past few weeks are pursuing legal action, as the terrorism climate heats up in Australia.
Three men of Middle Eastern appearance were pointed out by a spectator at the Roosters-Cowboys game on Friday night because they were using their mobile phones in a way that did not match what was happening on the field, Fairfax Media understands.
They were removed by police in the 60th minute and questioned for about half an hour. The three men were so incensed they contacted lawyer Adam Houda, who will demand an apology or take civil action on the men's behalf.
"It was a humiliating experience," Mr Houda said. "They are angry; they're furious."
A police spokesman disputed the men's accounts, saying they were not arrested or detained. "No issues arose from discussions with police and they were allowed to return to their seats," he said.
Mr Houda said he was considering launching a class action on behalf of about two dozen people who had been detained at airports in the past month and questioned about links to terrorism. Some were removed from aircrafts as they were about to depart. Most had booked their travel months in advance and had lost their money, he said.
He has also been approached by seven people who were caught up in large-scale counterterrorism raids last week who want to pursue legal action against the police.
Mr Houda's claims followed a warning by the Australian National Imams Council that they were exploring options for legal action after the "extremely unprofessional" detention of a senior member of the council at Sydney airport on Thursday.
The imam was detained for two-and-a-half hours for a routine baggage search, causing him to miss his flight to Saudi Arabia for the Haj, a religious pilgrimage undertaken by about 2000 Australians each year. He was unable to book another flight.
The grand mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammad said it was "totally unacceptable for any Australian citizen ... to be subjected to this seemingly random, yet profiled, manner causing severe stress and unwanted inconvenience".
Mr Houda said: "It's getting ridiculous. The last time the Muslim community were confronted with such a wave of bigotry and racism was under John Howard but this time it is way overboard."
Three fans 'humiliated' by police treatment at Roosters-Cowboys match
September 23, 2014 - 8:22AM
Rachel Olding
Three football fans said they were "furious and humiliated" after being detained at a rugby league match for using their mobile telephones in a manner an onlooker deemed suspicious.
Dozens of people who claim they were unfairly swept up by authorities in the past few weeks are pursuing legal action, as the terrorism climate heats up in Australia.
Three men of Middle Eastern appearance were pointed out by a spectator at the Roosters-Cowboys game on Friday night because they were using their mobile phones in a way that did not match what was happening on the field, Fairfax Media understands.
They were removed by police in the 60th minute and questioned for about half an hour. The three men were so incensed they contacted lawyer Adam Houda, who will demand an apology or take civil action on the men's behalf.
"It was a humiliating experience," Mr Houda said. "They are angry; they're furious."
A police spokesman disputed the men's accounts, saying they were not arrested or detained. "No issues arose from discussions with police and they were allowed to return to their seats," he said.
Mr Houda said he was considering launching a class action on behalf of about two dozen people who had been detained at airports in the past month and questioned about links to terrorism. Some were removed from aircrafts as they were about to depart. Most had booked their travel months in advance and had lost their money, he said.
He has also been approached by seven people who were caught up in large-scale counterterrorism raids last week who want to pursue legal action against the police.
Mr Houda's claims followed a warning by the Australian National Imams Council that they were exploring options for legal action after the "extremely unprofessional" detention of a senior member of the council at Sydney airport on Thursday.
The imam was detained for two-and-a-half hours for a routine baggage search, causing him to miss his flight to Saudi Arabia for the Haj, a religious pilgrimage undertaken by about 2000 Australians each year. He was unable to book another flight.
The grand mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammad said it was "totally unacceptable for any Australian citizen ... to be subjected to this seemingly random, yet profiled, manner causing severe stress and unwanted inconvenience".
Mr Houda said: "It's getting ridiculous. The last time the Muslim community were confronted with such a wave of bigotry and racism was under John Howard but this time it is way overboard."
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