NSW Covid protest planned for Saturday will see heavy police response
Police are hoping to talk organisers out of a second anti-lockdown protest before it begins but have issued a warning to anyone who attends: If we don’t get you, your mates will.
NSW
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Police are hoping to talk organisers out of a second anti-lockdown protest before it begins but have issued a firm warning to anyone who goes: If we don‘t get you, your mates will.
More than 200 people who attended last Saturday‘s wild rally through Sydney’s CBD have been fined or charged by NSW Police, with the majority coming after Crime Stoppers tip offs from members of the public.
With a similar rally planned for this weekend, the state government is looking at upping fines while police are planning to talk directly to protest organisers in a bid to stop the gathering before it starts.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon warned potential protesters that police numbers would be significantly boosted if they decided to gather again.
“We‘re well resourced for any eventuality,” Dep Comm Lanyon said.
“Certainly social media and a range of covert measures are being used by people to organise, because it‘s very clear they are aware that what they are organising is illegal.
“The fact that we’ve had 15,000 reports to Crime Stoppers subsequent to Saturday shows there is overwhelming community support for police to stop these protests.
“There’ll be a range of methods employed (by police), we know how people need to come into the city and we know how people need to get together, so obviously we’ll use whatever strategy we need to stop people from doing that.”
Police Minister David Elliott said while plenty of proactive policing would be done, the thousands of tip offs from the public had been an enormous help for officers.
“The fact that we have had nearly two reports for every person who attended last week‘s rally suggests to me that there is zero tolerance out there for people who want to do the wrong thing,” Mr Elliott said.
“Just assume that when you‘re involved in this sort of activity that’s putting your health at risk, one of your mates is going to dob you in.
“I don’t want anyone going around thinking we have become a nation of dobbers, what we are is a nation of family lovers.
“We are a nation that wants to make sure that we get out of this pandemic and restrictions as swiftly as possible.”
Mr Elliott said that in the past 24 hours a total of 284 PINs had been issued for breaches of the public health order.
And he foreshadowed greater penalties for anyone who broke the law by protesting this coming weekend.
“I think you’ll find the premier and the health Minister have already had discussions about penalties and there will be further announcements about that very soon,” Mr Elliott said.
“It saddens us as a government to have to fine individuals who are just being asked to comply with laws that will make their lives safer and healthier.”
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