The Nationals and Liberals have made a commitment in government to introduce a protest registration system as part of its five-point plan to help restore and maintain public order on our streets and in our communities.
Ms Bath said peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy, but the system needs improvement to encourage safer protests in Victoria,” Ms Bath said.
“In recent times we’ve seen a sharp rise in protest activity around the state that is increasingly focused on being disruptive and dangerous, blocking traffic, interfering with emergency services and placing our frontline police officers at risk.
“We have seen incidents in Melbourne where major intersections were gridlocked and emergency services hindered, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and diverting thousands of police hours away from dealing with crime.
“Ongoing protests are having a profound impact on regional police resourcing as officers are diverted away from our regional towns to the Melbourne CBD to maintain control and deal with anti-social behaviour.
“Under Labor we have seen rural police stations close, while many larger towns have been forced to operate under reduced capacity.
The Liberals and Nationals will:
· Introduce a protest registration system,
· Ban face coverings.
· Strengthen ‘Move-On’ laws.
· Tackle repeat offenders, and
· Safeguard free speech.
Ms Bath said these are sensible changes that prioritise law abiding Victorians and strike the right balance between the right to protest and community safety.
“They will also enable Victorian Police to better balance resourcing for protests and work collaboratively with organisers, so everyone stays safe.
“Many have had enough of the ongoing chaos and the division on our streets.
“Victorians deserve to feel safe, whether they’re attending a protest or walking past one and these changes are overdue.”
