by Sahar Foladi
The Bruce MP Julian Hill supports “peaceful protest” but “within the bounds of the law” addressing the refugee protesters camped outside of his office in Dandenong.
The statement comes after a series of attacks on the protestors led to one protestor hospitalised with a broken knee as reported previously by Star Journal,
Police has so far made three arrests, two male and a female, all bailed to appear at the Dandenong Magistrates Court in November.
“People have a right to peaceful protest within the bounds of the law and nobody should be subject to violence for exercising that right.
“Community complaints have been received regarding the amenity impacts of camping and disorderly protests and I can appreciate the concern about the impact on our local police. Allocating precious police resources to deal with endless protest activity diverts law enforcement focus away from tackling serious issues like family violence, theft and crime.
“I have enormous empathy for the plight of asylum seekers and refugees and the Government has implemented the election commitment regarding permanent protection for people with TPV and SHEV visas,” he said.
“As I’ve explained to the protestors when we chatted last week, the legacy of the remaining caseload is complex, and every case is different and needs to be worked through individually. Work continues on that caseload alongside other priorities.
“The reality is though that protesting or camping on the street is not going to make anything happen faster and risks putting the broader community offside, in addition to the safety issues for anyone choosing to sleep on a nature strip next to a road at night.
“Protesting in this way through encampments also creates legal risk for the protestors involved as if they break the law, deliberately or inadvertently, they risk creating a criminal record which may raise character concerns and prejudice future visa grants.
“They’ve promised me they’re aware of that and I hope they listen to all lawful instructions from the Council and Police.
“I’ll continue to work to resolve the shocking years long mess the Liberals left behind understanding that the presence or absence of protests has no impact on the Government’s focus.”
The group has camped outside the MP’s office since Monday 16 September in a 24/7 protest for a permanent solution to their more than 12 years of life in limbo.
Since the attack, police have installed a CCTV camera across the road from the protestors.
