Lawyers have joined thousands on Twitter and other social media to condemn the random check of people’s credentials on Friday and Saturday

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Social media sites have erupted with indignation over the planned weekend joint police and Australian Border Force operation to check visas on Melbourne streets.

Lawyers have joined thousands on social media to condemn the random check of people’s credentials on the streets on Friday and Saturday night.

Lawyer David Bongiorno tweeted:

Section 188 says an officer may require a person to stop where they know or reasonably suspect the person to be a non-citizen.

The biggest question being asked on social media is how border officers will exercise this suspicion on the streets.

“Great... so that’s that then... Just stop anyone that looks like a migrant and demand their papers,” Senor Snap tweeted on Friday.

“I’ve got certified copies of my Citizenship Certificate at home, and they are STAYING THERE. As is my passport and all my ID,” Vikram Saran said on Twitter.

“And then they came for people just minding there (sic) own business. Wonder how many anglos they stop?” Hero Fukutu said.

But officials have begun scrambling to ease the public backlash to their Friday morning statement that said they will speak with “any individual we cross paths with”.

This has now been replaced with “the ABF does not and will not stop random people on the streets”.