The Victorian government is pushing a widespread crackdown on protests and racially motivated violence.
Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Tuesday a Bill would be introduced to parliament that would ban protests outside religious buildings in the same way people are excluded from protesting outside abortion clinics.
But the suite of changes would also ban masks and balaclavas at protests.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced a crackdown on protest activity and a tightening of vilification laws. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui
“We know they are being used to conceal identity and shield agitators from crowd control measures like capsicum spray,” Ms Allan said on Tuesday.
“Face masks are not a free pass to break the law. There should be no place to hide in this state if you are a racist.”
The proposed laws come in the wake of a synagogue in southwest Melbourne being firebombed earlier this month.
If the laws pass parliament, police will have the power to remove people’s face coverings. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui
“I will never forget the visit I made last Friday, I will never forget the sight and smell of the blackened synagogue for the rest of my life,” Ms Allan said.
“I will never forget the harrowing stories of those who had escaped from that act of terror … anti-Semitism is a cancer and we must leave no stone unturned to fight the evil of anti-Semitism.”
More to come