Comments on: Drag Storytime Event In St Kilda Cancelled Over Safety Concerns

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 13:04:06 +0000

Completely true!
Partner and me on Oxford St at 10.58 pm on Sat 17.06.23.
Heaps of Police on streets and vans protecting them. Hordes of black clad Lebanese Maronites striding up and down Oxford St.
We were just accosted by a guy and girl and early told them to fuck off and gave them what for before cops told us to move on!
17c�� + people come here NOW!!!

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 02:02:10 +0000

Police actively engage with organisers to advise on how events can be held safely including the provision of appropriate security responses, but ultimately the risk and the decision to either cancel or proceed lies with organisers. While police can provide physical protection at an event and a cordon between protesters and attendees, they can’t eliminate the psychological hazards for young people or venue employees who effectively have to run the gauntlet of heckles, chanting, signs and online trolling. It is not the fault of police that protesting, even when it is obnoxious or vilifying, remains lawful.

By: Chris White

Chris White — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:32:54 +0000

From what I’ve seen, the police seem more inclined to protect the Religious Right and neo-Nazi protestors than the people trying to hold these events.