Victoria police have faced renewed scrutiny over the use of stinger grenades at a protest in Melbourne, with two activists potentially taking legal action against the force. The incident occurred last month when Victoria Police used a "stinger grenade" to disperse protesters.
Scout, who was injured in the blast, describes the scene as like something out of a war zone. "My ears were ringing, my eyes were stunned by the flash," Scout tells Guardian Australia. The victim suffered burns and bruising on their knee, groin, and arm.
Police have defended their actions saying they only use force when it is necessary to protect officers. However, experts are questioning whether stinger grenades are an appropriate tool for policing protests. Neil Corney, a researcher at the Omega Research Foundation, describes stinger grenades as "inherently dangerous" with rubber projectiles that can cause serious injury.
Police guidelines state that when stinger grenades are used, police should consider facilitating immediate medical attention for injured protesters. However, Scout claims there was no such offer on the day of the incident. Jeremy King from Robinson Gill law firm is representing Scout and another protester in their potential lawsuit against Victoria Police.
Scout, who was injured in the blast, describes the scene as like something out of a war zone. "My ears were ringing, my eyes were stunned by the flash," Scout tells Guardian Australia. The victim suffered burns and bruising on their knee, groin, and arm.
Police have defended their actions saying they only use force when it is necessary to protect officers. However, experts are questioning whether stinger grenades are an appropriate tool for policing protests. Neil Corney, a researcher at the Omega Research Foundation, describes stinger grenades as "inherently dangerous" with rubber projectiles that can cause serious injury.
Police guidelines state that when stinger grenades are used, police should consider facilitating immediate medical attention for injured protesters. However, Scout claims there was no such offer on the day of the incident. Jeremy King from Robinson Gill law firm is representing Scout and another protester in their potential lawsuit against Victoria Police.
. I mean, you can't just throw around live grenades like they're rubber bands! My grandma would freak out if she knew police were using those things 
. And the fact that there wasn't even an offer for medical help afterwards is just icing on the cake 
. It's all about proportionate force and respect for human rights, you know? Can't we find a way to de-escalate situations without resorting to these high-risk tools? 
they were just trying to express themselves and exercise their right to free speech, but then they get blasted with a device that's basically a war zone bomb 
i dont think police should be using those in the first place, especially not without considering alternative solutions or de-escalation methods 
its like, sure we need to protect our officers, but is it really necessary to put innocent people in harm's way? 
. I mean, can you imagine walking into a situation where your ears are ringing and your eyes are blinded by the flash... that's seriously traumatic for anyone let alone activists just trying to express themselves! 
The fact that there was no offer of medical attention afterwards is even more disturbing 
. I hope Scout and the other protester get justice 
. It's time for Victoria Police to review their tactics and make sure they're not using excessive force on citizens 
.
i can imagine how scary it must've been for her & those other protesters to be surrounded by all that chaos... like, what's the point of using stinger grenades anyway? they just seem so aggressive & unpredictable 
shouldn't police have some more peaceful ways to de-escalate situations?! 
I'm really worried about the use of stinger grenades at protests in Melbourne. My kid would freak out if they were hurt like that, even if it's just a little injury. How can we trust police to protect us when they're using things that could harm innocent people? 
My kid would ask me why they can't just talk it out or find a peaceful solution... 
.
It's like they just want to make the situation worse. And what really gets me is that there wasn't even an offer for medical attention after the blast 
. We need to have a better system in place for handling protests, you know? Something that doesn't involve causing harm to innocent people 
. I'm not surprised experts are questioning the use of stinger grenades - they're basically just asking for trouble 
also, why do we need these fancy explosive toys in our protests anyway? can't they just use less-lethal alternatives like pepper spray or batons? 
, especially since it might lead to some changes in policing practices. Can you imagine walking into a protest and having to deal with that kind of trauma? 
. And it's wild that Scout is considering taking Victoria Police to court over this. I hope they win their case because it seems like there was a major breach of protocol in this situation. 
. And from what I've read, stinger grenades are basically designed to cause harm, with rubber projectiles and all 
... it's like they're looking for a reason to use them.
stinger grenades sound like a super intense way to deal with protests 
? the police should def have a plan in place for when things go wrong 
not just leave people lying around 
. I mean, what's next? Tear gas canisters that shoot out like rockets? 
In all seriousness though, two people were seriously injured and no medical attention was offered? That's just not right. And the police saying they only use force when necessary? How do we know that's true? We need more transparency here. I'm also kinda curious about these stinger grenades, are they really as scary as everyone's making them out to be?