Rita Panahi: Victoria Police opted to go soft on Greens federal senator Lidia Thorpe

The lack of public response from police in publicly calling out the unhinged behaviour of federal senator Lidia Thorpe shows some protesters are considered more equal than others.

The incoherent emoting and unchecked idiocy of federal senator Lidia Thorpe was on full display again this week as she screamed abuse at police outside the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation centre. We’ve come to expect such behaviour from the Greens MP who has all the self-awareness of a toddler mid-tantrum.

Any rational observer of Australian politics over the past decade or two would be well aware of the childish attention seeking of the Greens and their frankly insane policies from energy and climate to foreign relations. This is a party so divorced from reality that in 2022 it does not consider China a threat to Australia.

But Thorpe’s behaviour is notable even by the dangerously low standards of the Greens. In a video that she shared on her social media accounts, Thorpe can be seen launching an aggressive verbal tirade against police as they tried to contain protesters trying to stop the deportation of 12 detainees to Christmas Island.

As Thorpe advances on police screaming “how dare you” like some demented version of Greta Thunberg, other protesters behind her call the officers “pigs”, “torturers”, “racists”, “pieces of shit”, “white supremacists” and “murderers”.

In the video shared on Thorpe’s Twitter account she can also be heard abusing the officers. Here are some highlights: “You (the police) are the criminals … how dare you, how dare you, you are an absolute disgrace,” Thorpe screamed.”

“Have you even done your research as officers of the law … because they are all innocent!”

“Is it not enough that you’re locking up innocent people? No one in there has a criminal record. We are talking about innocent people in there … how dare you treat people like that.”

I repeat all of this madness was contained in a two minute and 12 second video that Thorpe herself shared on Twitter. It turns out that far from being innocent the people being transferred to the Christmas Island detention centre were made up of detainees “whose visas have been cancelled due to being a risk to the community, and includes those convicted of serious crimes relating to assault, illicit drugs, robbery, domestic violence and other offences,” according to a Department of Home Affairs spokesman. But what is a little thing like facts and context when you’re indulging in a performative outrage for the camera.

Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. Picture: Ian Currie

What was evident in Thorpe’s video was police showing the sort of restraint that was missing during 18 months of anti-lockdown protests. Even as the senator gesticulates madly in their direction, they did not attempt to restrain her. And what has been just as pitiful as Thorpe’s loopy activism for violent detainees is the weak response from police command.

Rather than take the opportunity to call out the behaviour of a member of parliament who has verbally abused multiple police officers and behaved in a generally hostile, unhinged manner that could’ve incited further violence, Victoria Police opted to go soft. A spokesman said “(we) cannot comment on individuals as it would be a breach of privacy legislation”.

If you’re a pregnant mum posting about an anti-lockdown protest on Facebook you can expect to be arrested in your kitchen in front of your kids and then have Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius allege that you’ve “engaged in serious criminal behaviour” but if you’re a Leftist senator then you’re far less likely to face arrest, charges or even condemnation from the upper echelons of the force.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe confronts Victoria Police officers. Picture: Twitter/@SenatorThorpe

It’s just another example of selective policing in this state where some protesters are considered more equal than others.

Protest against a lockdown and you can expect mounted police and officers in riot gear advancing towards you with batons raised. Even if you’re posing zero threat you are a chance of being hit with capsicum spray and nonlethal rounds but if you’re a senator gesticulating aggressively in the faces of multiple officers then police take a softly softly approach.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton should have strongly and publicly condemned Thorpe’s behaviour and stood by his officers who were showered in abuse but did not resort to heavy handed tactics. It’s little wonder that morale among the rank and file members is so low when command would rather appease the activist class than support those on the frontline.