Victoria Police refuse to turn the other cheek on anti-mooning laws

A PLOT to “moon the Parliament House of Victoria” in mass numbers has emerged as police warn anti-mooning law protesters to “keep your pants on”.

The 10th anniversary of the mooning the Ghan in the Northern Territory, where mooning is legal.

THERE are calls for protesters to “moon the Parliament House of Victoria” to show “disgust and devastation” over amended state laws that prohibit the cheeky practice of mooning in public.

Those who dare to bare their bottoms in public face up to six months in jail with new laws introduced to ban mooning in Victoria. It was previously punishable under other laws but is now banned under specific legislation. The amendment was one of more than 50 crimes included in an overhaul of sexual offence laws. It has prompted widespread criticism.

A Facebook page called ‘Moon the Parliament House of Victoria’ was launched this morning with calls for locals to band together and “flash (parliament) after the next full moon to show our disgust and devastation of the new law”.

“Following the recent banning of the royal moon in Victoria, we have decided to show our disgustment (sic) and devistation (sic) of this new law by flashing the parliament house of Victoria the day after the next full moon,” the post read.

Victoria Police responded on the page within hours of its launch.

“Hi this is Victoria Police. The only moon we want to see on Parliament House is the 8 day old moon in the October lunar cycle. We suggest keeping your pants on and shut this page down or potentially risk criminal charges,” the police statement read.

But the pro-mooners were having none of it.

“Moon on people,” one social media user wrote.

Others were simply confused.

“Bert Newton isn’t allowed to show his face in public?” one user wrote.

Some took the argument more seriously.

“I hope you all get arrested and fined,” one person posted.

“If it’s against the law then they are doing their job. How would you feel if someone mooned your very young child? If you think it’s OK to moon then it’d be OK for people to flash their boobs or penis! None is (sic) appropriate full stop!”

The creator of the ‘moon the Parliament House of Victoria’ movement soon changed the name of the page to ‘moon the Parliament House of Victoria (with signs)’.

“We have decided to show our disgustment (sic) and devistation (sic) of this new law by showing the parliament house of Victoria big posters (with words) the day after the next full moon,” the organiser wrote.

“I can already hear the rusty gears clunking between the senior constables ears trying to come up with a valid charge under Vic law.”

First-time mooning offenders face up to two months in jail while repeat offenders could spend six months behind bars.

Attorney General Martin Pakula told 3AW the sexual offence legislation had been updated to separate indecent exposure from sexual exposure.

“Sexual exposure is of course a much more serious offence,” Mr Pakula said.

“We don’t want a situation where someone who might streak at the cricket is funnelled into the same category as someone who might jump out in front of a 13-year-old girl and flash.

“They’re very different types of offences and the legislation for the first time makes that clear.”

The Summary Offences Act states that “behaviour that is indecent, offensive or insulting includes behaviour that involves a person exposing (to any extent) the person’s anal or genital region”.

It cites “mooning or streaking” as an example of such an offence.

“If you contemplate a situation where it’s not (an offence) you could have people simply doing it everyday with no possibility of any kind of sanction,” Mr Pakula said.

“So it’s always been an offence, it remains an offence but the legislation simply separates out the less serious offence from the more serious offence.

“And that’s why it passed parliament with the support of both sides.”

The act also outlaws singing “an obscene song or ballad” and behaving in a “riotous, indecent, offensive or insulting manner”.