What a bummer: police tell mooning protesters to keep their pants on

Protesters planning to moon the Victorian parliament in protest against new laws that make the practice of exposing backsides illegal have backed down after police warned warned of possible criminal charges.

Organisers of a Moon the Parliament House of Victoria event have conceded they will need to demonstrate their opposition to the law with signs only when they gather on 8 October.

“We suggest keeping your pants on and shut this page down or potentially risk criminal charges,” Victoria police posted to the Facebook event on Tuesday.

Mooning and streaking were this month explicitly noted as obscene behaviours in Victorian law. Those who put their backside on public display face up to two months in jail for a first offence and six months behind bars for repeat exhibitions.

The state government says mooning has always been illegal, but was previously covered by other laws, such as indecent exposure, that carry much harsher penalties.

More than 450 people have signalled their intent or interest to take to the streets and barrack for backsides, but others aren’t so enthusiastic. “There are enough arseholes already on display in parliament,” Warren Moore posted.