“Victoria Police have lost all commonsense,” one Australian eyewitness quipped upon posting a video showing police telling a 38-week pregnant woman she can’t sit down due to coronavirus and social distancing enforcement measures.
It’s one of many recent viral videos to come out of Australia’s southeast state of Victoria, home to Melbourne, showing absurd “crackdowns” by police for alleged coronavirus policy violators. “As a pregnant woman I can’t sit in the park?” the incredulous woman whose story was covered widely in local media asked the couple of officers who harassed her.
Apparently not… because COVID. “You can only be out of your house for one of four reasons,” the officer responded. “One of those would be exercise. Sitting in a park is not one of the four reasons.”
We all ready knew it but now it’s confirmed. Victoria Police have lost all commonsense. Apparently 38 week pregnant women can’t stop for a breather on a park bench. pic.twitter.com/6RGI9GhN8f
— Damo Pelham? (@DamoPelham) September 10, 2020
The woman reasoned, “So, I’m pregnant and obviously my exercise is limited because I have to walk I’m now puffed out because I’m 38 weeks pregnant. So, even I can’t sit in a park, is that right?”
“You can only be out for one of the four reasons,” the officer asserted, explaining that her designated one-hour of exercise outdoors still includes certain restrictions (as if free citizens are under a prison regimen!).
But the above scene which unfolded earlier this month is nothing compared to another recent moment caught on video of police surrounding two old ladies resting on a park bench in Melbourne.
This one made national media in Australia and is still going viral across the world after it happened during the first week of September:
Truly disgusting ? – I thought we were supposed to be looking after our elderly?
How many cops for two little old ladies? https://t.co/yb9R6nEIsd pic.twitter.com/wHqzT5HdG4
— val glass (@AussieVal10) September 5, 2020
Here’s how national news source news.com.au described the scene unfold:
Dramatic footage has captured a bizarre stand-off between five police officers and two elderly women sitting on a Melbourne park bench.
The video posted to YouTube on Sunday showed the officers surrounding the two women as one of them said firmly: “No, I’m not standing up”.
“On what grounds am I under arrest? This is unlawful,” the woman said.
The officers snatched a mobile phone from one of the elderly women as soon as she took it out to start recording the encounter.
They were then threatened with arrest for allegedly refusing to show identification – all because police literally wouldn’t let them sit down to rest, supposedly in violation of coronavirus measures.
In yet another incident police entered a pregnant woman’s home and arrested her for merely planning an anti-lockdown protest on Facebook.
A young mum who was arrested at her Ballarat home over a 'Freedom Day' protest says she plans to fight her incitement charge. Zoe Buhler's arrest sparked international outrage as it was live-streamed on Facebook, but a top cop has defended the move. | @JaydeCotic pic.twitter.com/ohOwKzRryK
— 10 News First Melbourne (@10NewsFirstMelb) September 3, 2020
This also unfolded in Victoria.
“Pregnant mum Zoe Buhler’s arrest is dictatorial and dangerous.” Great piece by Caroline Overington. https://t.co/HRCsxRSpng
— Sharri Markson (@SharriMarkson) September 3, 2020
Protests have sprung up in various major cities across the Australian continent over authorities’ ultra-restrictive coronavirus lockdown measures, which judging by these and other incidents are among the most stringent and far-reaching in the world.
Sign up on lukeunfiltered.com or to check out our store on thebestpoliticalshirts.com.