Extraordinary tough new laws targeting outlaw biker clubs have now taken effect
With police in Australia breaking up a poolside birthday party last week
and charging attendees for their tattoos displaying now banned club logos
"First and foremost at this point in time tattoo displaying of prohibited insignia such
as Rebels Forever or anything relating to the Rebels OMCG is an offence in a public space..."
Police in Western Australia have started wielding their brand new powers —
anti-association laws and anti-insignia laws — that are forcing outlaw bikers to hide their colors
cover tattoos, drape over clubhouse signs, and be arrested if they get together in public
Even for a peaceful poolside party. The Mob Reporter here with a taste of the new biker
life in Australia's largest state, after police began enforcing new rules as an unwanted Christmas
gift for bikers, who they've made public enemy number one. Let me tell you about it
The state's laws were declared to be the toughest in Australia
a country that already is probably the toughest against outlaw bikers of any democracy. It gives
police tremendous power to stop bikies — as outlaw motorcycle club members are called in australia
from gathering in public places and from wearing or displaying their patches or insignia in public
The first arrests were just announced on January 15, 2022, although they took place the week before
at a hotel in a coastal suburb outside Perth, the state's largest city. A member of the public called
police reporting a party at the hotel pool by members of two large motorcycle clubs: the Hells
Angels and the Rebels. "Unfortunately guys, have you ever... you've heard of the new legislation that's
come in well... I'm sure you have, you have seen okay, so as of Christmas Eve a new legislation came
in from the Criminal Law (Unlawful Consorting and Prohibited Insignia Act)..." The caller, according to
police, said tattoos from both clubs were visible prompting a rather low-key raid by officers with
Western Australia Police's Gang Crime Squad. Officers found several club members and their
partners drinking, eating, swimming, and enjoying a celebration for the birthday of one of the Rebels
All of them were detained under the new law for an impromptu investigation of their identities
Five club members were then charged with displaying prohibited insignia. We see some
of the infractions here. We can also see there are no club cuts or vests — the official patches of the
biker clubs. But we do catch a glimpse of one of the ways club members are trying to skirt the law
by wearing sports team regalia that shares the club's colors, in this case it looks like
a Chicago Bulls basketball jersey which is in a similar red, white and black worn by Hells Angels
Those associated with the bikies were then issued dispersal orders, breaking up this party but also
preventing them from getting back together again for several days. Such as the power of the new laws
The Unlawful Consorting and Prohibited Insignia Act came into effect in Western Australia on
Christmas Eve. It names 46 motorcycle clubs and street gangs as specifically designated groups.
Among them are the Mongols, the Hells Angels, the Rebels, the Bandidos, Gypsy Jokers, Comancheros
Coffin Cheaters, Mongrel Mob, Black Power, Gods Garbage, Nomads, Outlaw, Satudarah, Rock Machine
and many, many others. And since Christmas Eve, 11 members of various groups have been
charged with displaying prohibited insignia and 16 have been served with dispersal orders
On Dec 27, 2022, a police checkpoint found various infractions on club members' motorcycles
including one percent stickers and custom paint jobs. On Dec. 30th, a Rebels MC
member was ticketed at a hotel in Perth for displaying his tattoos. Here we see the sign
outside of the Coffin Cheaters clubhouse in Mandurah was covered to avoid a charge and fine
At a Gods Garbage clubhouse in Kelmscott they painted over the logo on their clubhouse door
On New Year's Day, 2022, police stopped this guy — who then scribbled over his bikie tats with a
marker pen to avoid a charge. He told officers he was soon having them removed by laser treatment
On Jan. 6, a member of the Mongrel Mob had his colors seized. The Mongrel Mob was imported from
neighboring New Zealand and I explore that interesting organization in another video
that I'll link to below. And finally, a member of the Comanchero's MC had a ring with the club's
insignia on it seized, police said. Scofflaw bikies can be jailed for five years for repeat offenses
"Police search warrant open the door..."
Australia has been one of the toughest democratic countries in cracking down on outlaw bikers
and still they seem to flourish. Queensland, for instance, a state on the other side of Australia
has an anti-consorting law it recently enforced against members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club
after officers followed them to Hamilton Island, a popular tourist area near the Great Barrier Reef
Here we see inside scenes from that intervention from October 2021.
Three Mongols members were charged with habitually consorting with a recognized offender
"So that's why you're in our custody." "Yeah." "We're going to convey you from here back to Airlie
Beach police station where you'll be formally charged..." These latest moves in Western Australia
were sparked by recent public acts of violence, including the shocking slaying of former boss of
the Rebels, Nick Martin. He was shot by a sniper at a crowded public car race in December 2020
Police caught the sniper and he's cooperated, leading to the arrest of the man he claims ordered
it. The officials behind the new law clearly feel they have broad public support for it
And they pull no punches about its purpose. They are proud of how tough and uncompromising it is. "We
want to outlaw them but how do you get rid of them? They're like the covid 19 virus, they just sort of
pop up everywhere. We just can't legislate them out of existence, but we can give the Western
Australian police the legislative tools to keep on disrupting, keep on disrupting, and make this
the most inhospitable jurisdiction in Australia..." When speaking of the law, both Attorney General
John Quigley and Police Minister Paul Papalia said it's designed to give club members a clear choice
"So we have a very simple message to bikies: this is the time, you have a moment, it's time to get out of
the gang or get out of Western Australia." Quigley and Papalia seem to relish tackling the bikies head
on. Quigley in particular seems to love baiting them. "We expect there to be challenges
because the bikies have a lot of financial resources by selling drugs to our children..."
Not surprisingly, there are concerns and expected challenges of the law
One prominent bikie, Chris (Ballistic) Orchard compared his homeland to North Korea for
his new restrictions on his freedom. Here he is with his tat for the Coffin Cheaters on his arm
That's a homegrown Australian club. Concern also comes from outside bikie culture, however
Human rights advocates and constitutional law experts ask what the law means to freedom of
association and peaceful assembly in the country, even though these notions aren't protected in
Australia in the same way they are in the United States and some other jurisdictions
Such laws seem inconceivable in the United States, or even in Canada, where freedom of association
and freedom of expression are protected in constitutional documents. In Australia, however
there seems to be a bit of competition among some politicians of different Australian states
over who is the toughest in their fight with bikies. And so it is not only bikies who will
be carefully watching this. I'm sure police and public safety officials in other states
are waiting to see how it goes as well —perhaps with an eye to copying it. Thanks for watching