Terror Attack Justifies Police Power Grab, Says Government
Victoria is now following NSW, granting police sweeping powers to 'stop or move on' protests after a so-called 'terrorist event'. The Guardian reports this as a direct response to the Bondi attack, with semi-automatic rifles even deployed at the Boxing Day Test (despite no 'specific new threat'). One might almost believe these events are expertly timed for maximum public compliance. Historically,
governments have a penchant for expanding surveillance and control under the guise of public safety during periods of real or manufactured fear. Consider the Patriot Act post-9/11, or the endless 'anti-terror' legislation pushed globally that disproportionately targets dissenting voices. This isn't about safety; it's about chilling effect on legitimate protest, especially when those protests
happen to be, say, spotlighting inconvenient truths about foreign policy or international crimes. Convenient, isn't it, how 'terror' so often provides the perfect cover?