Bandidos roll into Ballarat for annual general meeting as show of force ahead of Victoria election
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The Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is in Victoria for their annual meeting seven days before the state election.
Members of the motorcycle club rode into Ballarat on their motorcycles and gathered outside Lazy Moe’s restaurant before heading to nearby Wallace on Saturday for their AGM.
Hundreds of affiliates were spotted donning their club patches and colors with some sporting red hats and jackets, while others fingered the media gathered nearby.
A procession of motorcycles was seen across the city with police following closely as they kept a close eye on the bikes.
The Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is in Victoria for their annual meeting seven days before the state election
Members of the motorcycle club rode into Ballarat on their motorcycles and gathered outside Lazy Moe’s restaurant before heading to nearby Wallace for their Saturday AGM
A procession of Bandidos bikies rolled through Ballarat before heading to Wallace on Saturday afternoon
Local police had a strong presence as they closely monitored the gathering of Bandidos members on Saturday
The AGM lasts through the end of the weekend and comes a week before residents head to the polls for state elections on November 26.
The timing of the meeting could be interpreted as a show of force and a message to the current or new government that could take power next weekend.
Victoria is one of the few states in the country where bikers can openly show their colors and band together in public without risking jail time.
Western Australia has some of the strictest laws where it is illegal for a member to even display their motorcycle club tattoos when out in public.
Queensland will send a cyclist to prison for wearing gang colours, with the same jail time for third offenders.
Victorian Police have worked to limit cyclists’ powers by issuing a Firearms Ban (FPO) to almost every member.
The AGM lasts through the end of the weekend and comes a week before residents head to the polls for state elections on November 26.
The timing of the meeting could be interpreted as a show of force and a message to the current or new government that may take power next weekend.
Hundreds of Bandidos cyclists ride a main road near Ballarat, Victoria, creating traffic for locals on Saturday
An FPO prohibits a person from possessing or using any firearm or ammunition and gives police the authority to conduct searches without a warrant.
A member who violates the order faces five years in prison.
Acting Commander Peter Brigham of the Victoria Police Crime Command said in June that FPOs had come a long way in combating violence in the biker community.
“In general, it’s about making Victoria a hostile environment [some organised groups] to work in and an important part of this is holding violators accountable,” he said.
A motorcycle club member turns the bird to a photographer outside Lazy Moe’s restaurant in Ballarat
Hundreds of Bandidos members rode their bikes through Ballarat as they made their way to nearby Wallace for the AGM
A procession of motorcyclists rolls through Ballarat for the AGM which took place a week before the state election in Victoria
Former Victoria Police Commissioner Kel Glare had criticized the state for not doing more to crack down on cyclists.
“Victorian anti-association laws need to be strengthened,” he said.
“There has been a reluctance to take strong action from the state government.
“We talk about civil liberties, but there has to be a balance between the security of citizens and the rights of individuals.”
Ballarat local police along with Victoria Police’s Echo and VIPER task forces are keeping a close eye on the Bandidos as they gather for their AGM.
Bandidos cyclists rode into Ballarat on their motorcycles before heading to nearby Wallace for the annual general meeting
Bandidos member group outside a Lazy Moe’s restaurant in Ballarat before heading to nearby Wallace for the AGM
A lone Bandidos member rides his motorcycle through Ballarat ahead of the AVA in the nearby town of Wallace
The Bandidos MC Australia, a biker gang that split from the Comancheros in 1983, has more than 50 chapters across Australia.
Inspector Bob Heaney of the Western Region of Victoria Police said there would be a heavy police contingent monitoring Bandidos activities, including a scheduled flight from Ballarat to Wallace on Saturday.
“I want to reassure the local community here in Ballarat not to be intimidated by the presence of Bandido bikers in town this weekend,” said Insp Heaney.
The additional police presence would continue until the end of the AGM on Sunday.
A Bandidos member wearing a face mask and helmet as he rides his motorcycle through a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria
Bandidos members wear their club patches and colors as they gather outside Lazy Moe’s restaurant in Ballarat
The procession of Bandidos motorcycles disrupted traffic in Ballarat, Victoria on a normally quiet Saturday morning