In the past week, Victoria Police has beaten the pulp out of Australians with batons, used capsicum spray and shot at our fellow citizens with rubber bullets - in broad daylight while the media cheered. Until, of course, the police turned on the media. Today on the Breakdown, what the freedom protests say about our media, our politicians and us.

Protest reactions

Lee Carnie makes the case for peaceful protests on the Drum

Police shoot rubber bullets at protestors

Photographer assaulted by police

Man assaulted by police

Indigenous man leg swept in Sydney

Daily Telegraph report of the incident

Officer charged

Christian Porter/Sarah Hanson-Young

Christian Porter's blind trust avoids 'conflicts of interest' (subscriber).