This week, VHPA staff joined unions and activists from around Victoria to protest against the Napthine government’s ‘move on’ laws- laws that may endanger our right to protest and picket.
The irony of protesting to protect our right to protest was not lost on the crowd who chanted “protest, while you still can!”
Speaker, Anna Brown from the Human Rights Law Centre, highlighted that the most vulnerable people in our society would bear the brunt of this new law with homeless people, people with mental health issues, and young people most likely to be targeted.
Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik, drew attention to how the proposal of the bill coincided with the picketing the of East-West tunnel drilling sites. Indeed, the passing of the laws could enable resistance to the project to be conveniently ‘moved on’. Father Bob was able to sum up many of the protestors sentiments with a quote from moralist and historian, Lord Acton-
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
A reminder that we have tenuous hold on our rights and how easily we can be stripped of them- let the Napthine government know you don’t want your right to protest to be taken away. Sign the petition here and share the link on our Facebook page here.