Monica Smit of Reignite Democracy is now a political prisoner

Monica Smit

Email your objection to Dan Andrews now! daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au

Monica Smit was arrested 2 days ago, charged with incitement and denied bail.

The following information comes from George Christensen, MP:

Anti-lockdown campaigner Monica Smit is currently a political prisoner in the People’s Republic of DanAndrewstan, otherwise known as Victoria.

Earlier today, I spoke with both Ms Smit’s partner and lawyer who informed me of this news.

She has been charged with a claim of “incitement” and allegedly breaching the CHO directives for posting remarks online in that were in opposition to the Victorian Labor Government’s lockdown regime.

In order to secure bail, the authorities demanded that she not only shut down her political organisation Reignite Democracy Australia and all of its associated websites and social media accounts but they also demanded that she not continue to “incite” opposition to the Victorian Labor Government’s lockdown regime which would likely mean she is not able to express her opposition to the Andrews’ lockdown regime publicly.

It should be noted that Reignite Democracy Australia has an application before the electoral commission to become a political party.

So to be clear, Ms Smit will only be allowed out of jail if she shuts down a fledgling political party and that fledgling political party’s means of communications, and if she refrains from any discussion around the political issue of lockdowns in Victoria.

Ms Smit’s imprisonment and her bail conditions are a clear breach of the implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

And just as this freedom is being undermined in Victoria, so too is the public trust and respect for the police when VicPol is arresting and prosecuting political campaigners like Ms Smit.

I call on Ms Smit to be released from jail without these outrageous limitations on her political rights and for the police to withdraw the politically-motivated charges against her and to refrain from further political arrests and prosecutions.

Because Monica has refused to sign her bail conditions, it is believed that she may spend between 4 and 6 weeks in jail before she gets a hearing.

Email your objection to Dan Andrews now! daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au