There was plenty of colour and movement in Bendigo last Thursday when protestors gathered outside Premier and Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan’s electoral office. They had assembled to send her a message regarding the proposed ‘social cohesion’ laws which are under State parliamentary consideration.
The protest was organised by the Central Victorian Climate Action group and consisted of a loose alliance of people from Bendigo, Castlemaine and Melbourne. Speakers included prominent activist Violet CoCo and Bendigo Greens candidate Avery Barnett-Dacey.
The new laws will ban wearing masks at demonstrations, restrict certain symbols and will prohibit tools such as locks, ropes and glue. Multicultural organisations will be asked to sign a ‘social cohesion’ pledge if they wish to receive government funding. The creation of ‘safe zones’ around religious buildings may exclude some areas of Melbourne’s CBD from public assembly.
According to the protest organisers, the proposed legislation is a direct attack on democracy. While they claim it is aimed at restricting pro-Palestine activism, they view it as a threat to other protest movements – including anti-war campaigns, union marches, environmental action and First Nation demonstrations.
The [Tarrangower] Times spoke to Violet CoCo, who as an Extinction Rebellion activist has been arrested many times for acts of protest and is therefore no stranger to the justice system. She remains committed to protecting the right to protest.
“The police can be scary and violent and the court system can be unjust,” Violet said. “Nobody wants to spend time in a jail cell when you could be with your family. But there are struggles in the world that are greater than our own lives. And disruptive protest works. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Was Jacinta Allan in her office? Who knows? All was quiet behind the closed doors. Apart from the odd heckler, most of those present were on the same page as the protestors. And this protest was a warm-up for the big one, which will be held at 5.30pm on Wednesday 19 March outside State Parliament.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 7 March 2025.
