Sept. 7, 2021

Are The Cops Copping It?

On Saturday August 21st 2021, a crowd of around 4,000 people marched through Melbourne’s CBD in breach of the state’s stay-at-home directions to protest over Victoria’s lockdown rules. More than 700 Victorian Police officers were deployed to contain the protest.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton described what played out that day as one of the most violent protests in Melbourne for 20 years. 

Nine police were treated in hospital for various injuries - 200 people were arrested and 2 protesters will face assault charges.

The Guardian Australia reported that many in the crowd came at police with projectiles - and for the first time during a lockdown protest, the Police used non-lethal weapons such as Capsicum spray and non lethal pellets. 

Away from the protests, police have been asked to enforce public health orders that include fining people for not wearing masks, being out after an enforced 9pm curfew and for unlawfully being more than 5km from their homes.

Has their approach been overly harsh? Or is it about right?

Are The Cops Copping It?

Joining Byron Cooke for this episode : John Sutton Director and Principal of J Sutton Associates. He is a Law Society of NSW Accredited Specialist in criminal law and a former police officer in London and Sydney.

Note that a request has also been made to the Vic Police Media and Corporate Communications Department for a representative of Vic Police to answer the same questions put to Mr John Sutton. This has not been rejected as yet, and may occur in the future.

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