Evan Brack: Waterproofer sentenced over anti-lockdown Covid protests

A man who took to the streets in an anti-lockdown protest which shut down Sydney’s CBD has been slammed in court, with a magistrate asking “do you know how many people have died of Covid”.

A man who took to the streets in an anti-lockdown protest which shut down Sydney’s CBD has been slammed in court, with a magistrate asking “do you know how many people have died of Covid”.

Evan Brack, 34, of South Coogee, appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for assaulting a police officer as well as breaching Covid restrictions at the height of the Delta outbreak.

Evan Brack, aged 34, was charged over his role in the anti-lockdown protests.

During the July 2021 ‘Freedom rally’, thousands of people brought the city to standstill to protest against the lockdown restrictions.

More than 50 people were charged following the event, which widely was slammed by police officers and politicians.

At the time, former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian slammed the “utter contempt” shown by the protesters.

“I am utterly disgusted by the illegal protesters in the city today whose selfish actions have compromised the safety of all of us,” Ms Berejiklian said of the anti-lockdown demonstration.

In court, Brack’s defence lawyer Kate Miller, said her client regretted his actions and spoke of Brack’s long-term employment as a waterproofer for Polyseal.

“(His actions) were completely out of character,” Ms Miller said.

The so-called “Freedom March” in Sydney. Picture: Julian Andrews.

But Magistrate Michael Barko had little time for Brack’s role in the protests.

“Do you know how many people have died of Covid?”, Mr Barko said.

Mr Barko further told the court it was not only the elderly who could fall seriously ill from this disease and spoke of one of his son’s high school friends who died from Covid.

“He was a fit, healthy and double-vaccinated 23-year-old,” Mr Barko said.

Mr Barko told Brack it “was lucky he didn’t touch a police officer”, otherwise he would’ve ended up in jail.

“What you were doing was illegal, what the police officers were doing was their duty,” Mr Barko said.

For his crimes, Brack was fined $550 for assaulting a police officer during the protest and $330 for breaching Covid restrictions.