Recently, an American anti-globalisation non-violent peace activist was detained and deported from Australia. The government here used the recently passed Terrorist Laws to detain and deport this gentleman.
In Britain, Sussex police revealed that powers introduced to tackle the threat of violent terrorism were used against hundred's of delegates, peace activists and anti-Blair protestors. Among those detained last week at the Labor Conference in Brighton was a retired 82 year old Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who is an anti-Iraq war. His crime was shouting "nonsense" during a speech on Iraq by Foreign Minister Jack Straw.
Are these laws enacted to intimidate political opponents?