A second member of the Victorian police joined former sergeant Krystle Mitchell over criticism of how the instructions from the state’s chief health officer were being enforced.
In Australia, the Chief Health Officer has the urgent authority to issue and impose public health orders to protect human health from COVID-19 under the Biosecurity Security Act of 2015.
Mitchell, who has been with the Victorian Police for over 16 years, left the army after being listed on criticism of how the police enforced the instructions. Interview with media studio Discernable, Was broadcast on October 8th.
Craig Buckman, a former senior police officer in Victoria, has also resigned.
so Facebook post, Buckman described himself as “until recently, a proud senior police officer,” and said he wrote an email to Victorian police management on September 17, “being part of what I believed in. I outlined the reasons for refusing. “By order of the Victoria State Government, I unfairly violated the human rights of Victorian citizens.”
Talk to a local show Cafe lockout On Wednesday, Buckman said he would leave the unit because “my personal belief in what I believe to be right and ethical seems to be in complete conflict with the organization.” He said he had decided.
“How can I reconcile myself with working for an organization involved in the enforcement of human rights abolition? That’s the opposite of what I felt involved,” Buckman said. I quoted basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of physical independence.
Buckman talked about recent protests at Melbourne’s most famous war memorial, the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. There, protesters were involved in a tense conflict with the police.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison branded the protest as “extremely painful” and told reporters, “This is not an appropriate response to trying to deal with this type of outbreak.”
video As they tried to disperse the crowd, police showed unarmed civilians firing shots of pepperballs. Another video I showed a policeman piercing a woman into the ground.
Mr. Buckman said he knew that the situation “should have been completely avoided” and felt “heartbroken” when he saw the incident unfold on television.
“Once again, we’re talking about people’s rights here,” he said. “Is it justified to shoot someone behind you because you’re in a place you don’t want to be them? In my humble opinion, it’s not even a question you need to ask. It’s definitely not the way.” Backman added.
“What I saw in Victoria was something I never imagined I would see, except for invasions from foreign enemies, not from someone who was told I couldn’t go to work without attending a clinical trial. “
“Now these people were just fighting to hear. All they wanted was to be heard. And they were treated like foreign invaders. They were fleeing. Is it justified to use power to shoot someone when? In my opinion, absolutely not. And if someone gets injured, it is within their right to complain about it. I would suggest that, “he added.
Mr Buckman said he saw images of people injured during the protest after seeing police officers “after agreeing to disband, they would indiscriminately fire at people just by trying to disband.”
“Frankly, I was absolutely tired. I was absolutely tired and embarrassed. And from that day on, I made that decision … I think they can justify the action. There was no possibility of associating oneself with this organization, “he said.
Buckman also pointed out a clear difference between how Australia’s COVID-19 protest was handled by police and other protests, such as those related to the Black Lives Matter movement, the latter being police-led to event organizers. He said he had only seen issuing a penalty notice.
A former senior police officer told the general public that “all police are not their enemies” by sharing his own personal beliefs about how police responded to the COVID-19 protest. He said he wanted to be recognized.
“How they once helped the police, and now they no longer help,” he said. “And I knew there were a lot of colleagues who didn’t want to participate in this, and I saw the loss of relationships we had built up over the years with the community burned out in just a few days. Was a painful thing for me. “
“And I think it’s been coming with this COVID for a while, it was detrimental to the relationship as a whole. But the way they responded to these protests they had made regarding mandates was silence. It’s a message I’m trying to get, and there seems to be nothing else, “he continued.
Buckman said in a Facebook post yesterday that he wanted the email to Victorian police management to be taken seriously, but claimed he had not received a response to the letter.
The Epoch Times asked Victorian police for comment.
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Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She focuses primarily on the United States and covers the news and business of The Epoch Times.