Victoria's New Normal (General)

by dulan drift, Thursday, September 10, 2020, 10:02 (78 days ago)

This will be a 'serial posting' exploring the dark-side of Covid restrictions in Victoria, Australia. Feel free Dan, or anyone, to jump in and comment.

On September 3, (cue Dan throat clearing) a pregnant mother, Zoe Buhler, was arrested in her home in Ballarat, Victoria, in front of her partner and two children. She was handcuffed and taken off by the police, still in her pajamas. All electronic devices in the house were seized - regardless of who owned them. Below is an edited transcript of the arrest (video here - timestamp 1:03):

Police: Right - now you’re under arrest with relation to Incitement. (timestamp 1:03)
Zoe Buhler: Incitement?
P: Never... You’re not obliged to say or do anything but anything you say or do may be given in evidence.
ZB: Excuse me, incitement for what? What, what on earth?
(Big police officer moves into handcuff her)
Buhler’s Boyfriend: (takes phone continues filming): Yeah what’s this about?
P: Yeah just calm down and let me finish. It’s in relation to a Facebook post in relation to a lockdown protest put on for Saturday.
ZB: Yeah and i wasn’t breaking any laws by doing that.
P: You are actually. You are breaking the law - that’s why i am arresting you - in relation to Incitement.
BF: How can you arrest her? That’s…
ZB: In front of my two children
BF: Can’t you just say to her ‘Take the post down’? C’mon!
ZB: I’m happy to delete the post, this is ridiculous.
P: You’re not obliged (inaudible) cautioned you on your rights do you understand? You’re not obliged to say anything but …
ZB: Yeah that’s fine but..
P: Anything you do say or do may be given in evidence. Do you understand that?
ZB: Yeah that’s fine, but my two kids are here and i have an ultrasound in an hour. Like i’m happy to delete the post.
P: You also have the right to communicate with a legal practitioner. Do you understand those rights?
ZB: Yeah this is ridiculous
BF: Yeah this is a bit unfair, c’mon mate. How ‘bout she won’t do the event. It’s not like it’s already happened. She made a post - so that’s an offence?
P: Well she already committed the offence.
BF: So that’s an offence?
P: So, i’m not gonna argue. Now - search warrant - that entitles us, and we are required to seize any computers, any mobile devices you have…
ZB: What on earth?
BF: Yeah could i just get your badge for a second there mate?
ZB: (crying - inaudible)
P: (getting angry) Just let me finish! Any mobile you’ve got, ok, so what we want is any mobile you've got (big police officer is collecting phones)
ZB: That’s actually my sister’s phone
P: Well it doesn’t matter. Any device in this house we’re taking.
BF: Ahrr, you’re not taking my phone (police come to take his phone)
It’s my phone, it’s got nothing to do with her! (takes phone - recording finishes)

She has since been released from jail on bail pending her trial. She faces a big fine or up to 2 years jail. Following her arrest, there was an outpouring of abuse online, directed not at the police but at the woman, and another woman who was later arrested for protesting her arrest. “Stupid women!”, “Jail her!”, “Tin-foil hat conspiracy theorists!” were typical comments.

The next day the police smashed in the door of another person-of-interest, James Bartolo, and arrested him for the same ‘crime’. (The ‘progressive’ media described them as “conspiracy theorists”, without providing details - which made it ok apparently.)

So what is the crime of ‘Incitement’ exactly? Here’s the (edited) post she made (since taken down):

PEACEFUL PROTEST!!!
All social distancing measures are to be followed so we don’t get arrested please. Please wear a mask. Sep 5 is Freedom Day. END LOCKDOWNS. STAND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. WE LIVE IN A *FREE* COUNTRY. (included protest time/location)
(It did go ahead - participants were arrested, handcuffed, and/or fined.)

Bloody Hell! So Posting about a peaceful protest is a crime. That’s Thought Police stuff, complete with Chilling Effect. How did we lurch into this ‘new normal’ so suddenly? Where is this going?