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Victoria Police Concerned About Rise Of Sovereign Citizens Who Think The Law Doesn’t Apply To Them

Victoria Police Concerned About Rise Of Sovereign Citizens Who Think The Law Doesn’t Apply To Them

Dozens of people have refused to wear face masks or give out their details when going through checkpoints.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Victoria Police are concerned about the rise of people claiming to be sovereign citizens in order to flout Stage 3 or 4 lockdown rules.

The sovereign citizens movement started in America and is a bunch of people who claim they don't have to abide by local, state or federal laws and instead hold themselves to their own interpretation of common law.

As Victoria has increased restrictions on people's movements and introduced a mandatory face covering rule, there have been plenty of people trying to claim these laws don't apply to them.

The state is grappling with hundreds of new coronavirus infections every single day and their efforts to keep transmission as low as possible is being hampered by people openly challenging the rules.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said during a press conference: "In the last week, we've seen a trend, an emergence if you like, of groups of people, small groups, but nonetheless concerning groups, who classify themselves as sovereign citizens, whatever that might mean.

"People who don't think the law applies to them. We've seen them at checkpoints baiting police, not providing a name and address.

"On at least four occasions in the last week, we've had to smash the windows of cars and pull people out to provide details because they weren't adhering to the Chief Health Officer guidelines, they weren't providing their name and address."

With 160 infringements issued on Monday for breaking the rules related to the pandemic, a whopping 60 were handed out for people not wearing a mask.

Commissioner Patton says police shouldn't have to be fining people to wear a mask because the enormity of the second wave in Victoria should encourage everyone to stay safe.

"We don't want to be doing that, but people have to absolutely understand there are consequences for your actions and if you're not doing the right thing, we will not hesitate to issue infringements, to arrest you, to detain you where it's appropriate," he said.

The police chief highlighted a particularly horrifying case when an officer was bashed when she asked a woman to wear a mask when she was out in public.

The 26-year-old police officer was attacked on Monday night near the Bayside shopping centre in Frankston.

"After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle," Commissioner Patton said. "During that scuffle, this 38-year-old woman hit the head, smashed the head of the policewoman several times into a concrete area on the ground."

"That behaviour is just totally unacceptable. That's someone who thinks they're above the law. They're not wearing a mask. They're approached and asked the reason why not and then to react like that is just completely over the top."

The officer's hair was allegedly ripped out during the scuffle and she suffered significant head injuries. She was taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment and has been recovering at home today.

Police are pleading with people to just stick to the rules and hopefully they will be able to get things under control.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Australia