Around 10am this morning Australia’s new-look Customs agency, Australian Border Force, announced in a freakish statement that its agents would be working with Victoria Police in “Operation Fortitude”.
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After a storm of protest on social media and planned demonstrations against the move, Border Force clarified its position saying it will not stop people for random checks nor target people on the basis of religion or race.
The outrage soon grew so intense that a snap protest was staged to coincide with the ABF’s official media announcement at Flinders Street Station.
On Friday afternoon, just hours before Operation Fortitude was set to commence in central Melbourne, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton called off the plans for a wide-scale police initiative that was meant to target anti-social behaviour over two consecutive nights.
The operation was meant to combine ABF with transport and other enforcement agencies.
Dubbed “Operation Fortitude” it was cancelled by lead agency the Victorian Police on Friday afternoon, after conflicting messages were issued by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection suggesting it would involve spot check of peoples’ visa status in Melbourne’s CBD.
Melbourne’s CBD turned into chaos.At 2:30 pm, Victoria Police had to announced the government and the police force are backing down.
But ABF Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg later told reporters in Canberra the press release was “clumsily worded” and did not properly portray the agreed role between Victoria Police and the force.
‘Victoria Police’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of the whole community and we will continue to work with our partner agencies to achieve this’.
Another crossbencher, Andrew Wilkie MP, said “Joseph Stalin would be proud of Tony Abbott” – and said that “Stasi would be delighted with the Australian Border Force“.
Border Force was established in July and reflects the federal government’s tougher line on national security.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to stop cynically exploiting the work of the Australian Border Force for its own political ends, potentially putting these officers at risk”.
It was also pretty obvious this was border force establishing its paramilitary credentials as a law enforcer (it can now carry arms, detain people and gather intelligence) with a remit far beyond our borders.
How exactly ABF officers are to know who should have a visa isn’t clear.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has not commented as of 5pm AEST. He did not respond to questions over whether he knew about the operation in advance.
“Mr Dutton needs to immediately explain to the community what on earth has transpired”.
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Opposition Immigration spokesman Richard Marles said the government’s handling of the operation was at best clumsy and at worst shambolic. About 200 protesters arrived at Flinders Street Station holding up placards and chanting “border force off our streets” and “fuck off border force”.
