‘Police out in the suburbs keep getting dragged into the city to manage a protest’: Mark Galliott

Disruptive protests plaguing Victoria have forced fed-up police to pull 10,000 shifts that should have been used to combat serious and violent crime.

Police have hit out at disruptive protest action plaguing Victoria, revealing it has forced them to pull at least 10,000 shifts from usual duties that should have been used to combat serious and violent crime.

Victoria Police CBD Commander Mark Galliott said an average of 21 protests had been staged in the city each week, taking police away from vital duties in their suburbs or regional towns to be on standby for any action.

He said the 10,000 shifts would have gone “a long way” in protecting the community and the force was forking out tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to respond to each major rally.

“It’s the community that gets affected by these pop-up protests,” he told the Herald Sun.

Police are being redeployed from usual duties to deal with protests. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“The (police) out in the suburbs are there for a specific reason, they want to make a difference in their local community but they keep getting dragged into the city to manage a protest.

“Melbourne relies on the trams and trains coming in, that all gets affected … the hospitals especially are impacted by these protests (too).

“As you see with the numbers, 21 protests a week … they’re not getting their message across.”

The Herald Sun can reveal that more than 560 protests have been staged in Melbourne’s CBD in the past six months alone.

Across the state, 342 protests relating to the conflict in the Middle East have been held since the war began in October last year.

CBD Commander Mark Galliott says ‘it’s the community that gets affected by these pop-up protests’. Picture: Jason Edwards

On Monday, more than 550 police from suburban Melbourne and regional cities such as Geelong, Shepparton, Ballarat, Bendigo were deployed to prepare for multiple rallies organised by Pro-Palestine group A15 Action that were threatening to wreak havoc across the city.

Police made 17 arrests after members of the A15 group staged a dozen separate protests across the state.

Two people, a 26-year-old Panton Hill woman and a 22-year-old Glenroy man, were charged after they allegedly interfered with traffic lights in the city.

There have been more than 560 protests staged in Melbourne’s CBD in the past six months alone. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Mr Galliott, while acknowledging the right to protest, slammed the decisions of protesters who refused to engage with authorities before Monday’s day of action.

“If you don’t tell us your plans, or you don’t want to engage, if you’re anti-police as many of those groups were on Monday, we then have to plan for the worst,” he added.

“It impacts the broader community because we have to put more numbers to it because they don’t tell us what they’re doing.”

Over the past six months, separate groups of protesters have blockaded ports, freeways and other major thoroughfares to bring the city to a standstill.

Police slammed organisers for refusing to engage with authorities before Monday’s protest. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Galliott said a group of Monday’s protesters were part of a crew jumping on a range of social and political issues.

“They’re not passionate about the cause, they’re passionate about being angry at something,” he added.

“The ones that are not passionate about the cause are a very small group that hijack legitimate causes and because of their actions ultimately detract from the broader group’s message.”

The two offenders were charged after several sets of traffic lights in Carlton and the CBD were allegedly tampered with. The pair were bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 22.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Thursday said the state’s police force had the resources to respond to ongoing protests.

She reaffirmed that the Victorian government would not follow NSW in adopting a permit system for mass gatherings.

“Victoria Police have the tools and the resources to respond to these activities,” she said.

“We’ve seen that Victoria Police have the tools and the resources and the powers to move quickly to arrest people to move people on where there is compromised community safety.”

Ms Allan said has had a “range of conversations with the Chief Commissioner” about protests and that Victoria Police “are responding in different ways”.

“(They are) demonstrating that they have the tools,” she said.