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Herzog is set to travel from Canberra to Melbourne tomorrow, after spending time in Sydney earlier this week meeting with mourners and survivors of the Bondi Terror Attack.
As Herzog’s visit approaches, more than 5000 protesters are anticipated to rally at Flinders Street Station at 5 p.m. tomorrow to voice their disapproval of the dignitary’s presence.
Bob Hill, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner for Regional Operations, announced today that the Supreme Court has authorized police to exercise special powers under the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act as a “precautionary measure.”
“The police have been empowered to check the identities of individuals, search people and vehicles, and establish security perimeters in specific areas,” Hill stated.
He added, “These measures are limited to the areas Herzog will visit and are not intended to interfere with lawful protests scheduled to occur in Melbourne tomorrow evening.”
The areas where the powers will apply will not be revealed in order to protect the president.
Hill stressed the national terrorism threat level remained ‘probable” and said there were no active security threats against Herzog in Victoria.
“We want to be clear that there is no intelligence at this time to suggest that the event is the target of any specific threat,” Hill said.
“However, we are well prepared for both the visit and any protest activity this week, and have adequate police resources available to provide an agile response to any incidents.”
Around 5000 protesters took to the steps of Flinders Street Station on Monday.
“Monday’s protest in Melbourne was largely peaceful and the majority of the crowd was well behaved. At this time, we are expecting Thursday’s protests to be the same,” Hill said.
“We respect the right of individuals to protest but only when it’s done lawfully and peacefully.
“Again, our number one aim is to ensure the safety of all involved and we will be working with all parties to make sure that’s the case.”
The president’s four-day visit to Australia has been veiled in controversy with several protests shutting down cities across the country.
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