Kylie Lang: ‘Hypocrisy at its worst’: Protesters must be fined

OPINION: We need to take a stand against racism. But thousands are expected to flood into Brisbane today, ignoring coronavirus restrictions which could spark a second wave of the deadly virus. The government must act and fine protesters, otherwise it is hypocrisy at its worst, writes Kylie Lang. VOTE IN POLL

THE Premier refuses to open the borders but won’t shut down a mass rally.

Could the hypocrisy be any worse?

All lives matter.

Yet at noon thousands of people are expected to converge on Brisbane’s King George Square, making an absolute mockery of COVID-19 social distancing rules and potentially sparking a second wave of the deadly virus.

The rally is part of a series of global protests, and around Australia today, since the awful death of black man George Floyd in the US.

I get why it’s important to take a stand against such brutality.

Protesters marching during a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney. (AAP Image/James Gourley)

But to undo all the hard work we Queenslanders have done – and have been praised for by Annastacia Palaszczuk and chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young – in mitigating the spread of coronavirus is criminal.

Just don’t expect police to be dishing out fines, like they’ve done to picnickers in South Bank or people watching the sunset on Burleigh Hill.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd says there will be no mass arrest of protesters – because it “just isn’t practical”.

Impractical or inconvenient?

Victorian police have warned they’ll be slapping infringements on protesters who breach the ban on gatherings of more than 20.

And in NSW, the Supreme Court has ruled today’s Black Lives Matter rally would violate public health orders after a gutsy appeal by premier Gladys Berejiklian to make the protest illegal.

Yet in silly old Queensland – already a laughing stock because of belligerent border closures amid a crippled economy – our leaders are sitting on the fence.

Could someone push them off, and bring in some real leadership?

Protests have erupted across the US since George Floyd’s death. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

The best Ms Palaszczuk could do was say she “hoped” protesters would “respect the health advice”.

Let me get this right … we have to give our personal details to order a cup of coffee yet now the abiding of social distances rules is left to individual choice?

Please.

Queenslanders are fed up with mixed messages from a government that is crushing business and bleeding our state dry.

October 31 can’t come quickly enough.