A state politician who was protesting alongside a crowd of others outside the official residence of the Prime Minister today has been arrested and moved on by police in utterly bizarre scenes.
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Greens MP David Shoebridge, a member of the NSW Legislative Council, was arrested, searched, and detained by police outside Kirribilli House amongst an otherwise run-of-the-mill snap protest against Federal Government inaction on climate change.
Police assert that Shoebridge, along with a handful of other people detained outside the official residence of Scott Morrison, defied move on orders resulting in their detaining.
However bizarre footage shows a very calm Shoebridge explaining to on-lookers that he was complying with the orders but was arrested anyway, as police search his pockets, remove his belt, and ultimately place him in the back of a divvy van.
Green MP David Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeMLC) arrested outside Kirribilli House after failing to comply with a move-on order.#ClimateProtest #sydneysmoke pic.twitter.com/JzE0rsYKkS
— River McCrossen (@RivOMac) December 19, 2019
Shoebridge was later charged with failure to comply with a move on directions and handed a court summons for his troubles, which he subsequently documented on social media.
Better diarise this. Arrested and charged with failure to comply with a move on direction at the #ClimateEmergency rally outside Kirribilli House. Interesting fact is that I was trying to comply! Welcome to NSW policing coalition-style. pic.twitter.com/FloWNlkpQd
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) December 19, 2019
With Sydney enduring yet another day of acrid smoke haze hanging thick over the city, and NSW entering into yet another period of “extreme” fire danger, scores of people showed up at the doorstep of Kirribilli House to directly protest Scott Morrison’s inaction on climate change (even though he definitely is not there right now).
A makeshift tent city has been set up outside the property, with protesters vowing to remain in place until the Prime Minister returns from his alleged Hawaiian holiday – a move that’s almost certain to cause him an ocean of worries once he actually gets back to work.
Footage from the protests also shows the heavy-handedness of police, including this video, in which a fully-grown police officer sternly delivers a move on order to a small girl, who attended the protest with her father.
As police went about their move-on order at Kirribilly House, one girl was visibly frightened during police direction.
She and her father complied with the move-on order.#ClimateProtest pic.twitter.com/PJHHAs1B8n
— River McCrossen (@RivOMac) December 19, 2019
Great stuff there, mate. Real tough shit.
