NSW Covid lockdown protests held in Blacktown, Sutherland
There have been scuffles between police and protesters as co-ordinated anti-lockdown demonstrations were held across the state.
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Police arrested 153 people as anti-lockdown demonstrators held 79 unauthorised protests across the state.
As well as the arrests, police issued 573 PINs for breaches of the public health orders.
Of the 79 protests held eight were in Sydney, nine in North West Metropolitan Region, 11 in South West Metropolitan Region, 24 in Northern Region, 13 in Southern Region, and four in Western Region.
Seven were arrested at Government House, five arrested in Blacktown, six arrested in the Hills, six in Fairfield and three in Strathfield.
Three police officers received minor injuries following interactions with protesters at Lismore where a huge 11 people were arrested, as well as Murwillumbah, where three were arrested, and Raymond Terrace.
More PINs are expected to be issued as police investigations continue, including for failing to comply with self-isolation direction ($5000).
Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon addressed the media, saying the protests put people at risk.
“We’ve made it very clear throughout previous weeks that police are not opposed to free speech. We are opposed to activity that breaches the public health orders and puts the vast majority of the community in danger,” Mr Lanyon said.
“There are a number of people online at the moment who are attempting to organise, unauthorised protests without any real legitimacy or without any real support.”
It is feared the co-ordinated anti-lockdown protests held across the state this morning could act as superspreader events.
Demonstrations were held across NSW from Grafton to Nowra and across Covid ravaged Sydney.
Protests have been held in Dubbo, Nowra, Goulburn, Grafton, Shellharbour as well as in Blacktown, The Hills, Sutherland, the inner west, eastern suburbs and Sydney’s south west.
More protest sites are emerging as the day progresses.
Many of the demonstrations targeted council chambers with organisers declaring “enough is enough”.
There were gatherings of unmasked demonstrators outside Blacktown Council, Sutherland Council, Hills Council, Canada Bay Council, Waverley Council, Fairfield City Council and Liverpool City Council chambers from 9am.
At Blacktown more than a dozen congregated outside the Flushcombe Road chambers.
The protesters could be heard yelling “my body my choice” and “freedom” as police descended on them in force.
There was a scuffle with one woman who repeatedly screamed “I do not consent” as police tried to control her.
Flushcombe Road was cordoned off and police made numerous arrests.
One man who turned up late to the protest left saying “I thought we would turn out in better numbers. Lockdown.”
There were similar scenes outside Sutherland Shire Council’s chambers where around 40 people gathered.
Hills police said six protesters had been arrested and others issued fines after gathering outside the Norwest Administration Building.
Some of the protesters were yelling they were “sovereign citizens” and one man will face court over allegedly assaulting police and not complying with public health orders.
Hills Commander Superintendent Darrin Batchelor said police were aware of the protest activity ahead of time and were stationed outside the Hills Council as well as the local MP’s electorate office.
Three people have been charged with breaching public health orders, 43 infringements were issued for participating in an outdoor gathering without a face mask and there were approximately 50 attendees,”
Anti-lockdown protesters also swarmed the eastern suburbs including the council offices of the area where the NSW outbreak first began.
Waverley Council, which encompasses Bondi where the Delta cluster was initially sparked in June by a limousine driver transporting international flight crews, was targeted by the protesters this morning.
Eastern suburbs locals were quick to condemn the actions of the protesters on social media labelling it a “freedumb” action by “covidiots”.
There were two arrests outside Liverpool Council with a number of fines also issued.
Fairfield council chambers pic.twitter.com/9wNZNNNbQy
— ☆ FiXx HaL0 ☆ (@fixx_halo) August 31, 2021
Four people gathered to protest outside council chambers in Dubbo, however they quickly took off when two police officers arrived.
When asked why they were there, one woman who refused to be named said she believed governments were guilty of “psychological warfare”.
“Sometimes you can’t trust everything you hear and everything you read, you do have to have an open mind and you do have to actually do some research,” she said.
She said there was “no way” she would accept a Covid-19 vaccination but did agree the virus was real.
“I believe it’s real but then so is pneumonia, the cold and the flu … there are more questions than answers,” she said.
A man who gathered alongside the woman said he was concerned about “reports that the vaccine is worse for us and worse for the people than the virus is”.
A number of arrests were made after those gathered refused to move on.
Police were also called to Canada Bay Council chambers in Drummoyne where about a dozen people gathered.
The nearby Inner West Council’s Petersham Service Centre saw one person arrested after about seven people, including a child, rallied outside.
At Goulburn around 10 anti-lockdown protesters were gathered outside the council chambers.
One person was arrested and fines were issued.
There was also a small gathering outside Shellharbour Council Chambers.
Those gathered refused to speak to media saying there was “nothing to say” and that they “weren’t protesting”.
The group of a dozen people were not wearing masks and were discussing information being hidden from them by the government.
Protesters also gathered outside the Ulladulla Council Administration building on Deering Street this morning.
When The South Coast news arrived on scene, one unmasked man was telling police ‘you shouldn’t be proud of yourselves’ as he was getting into his car, after being told to leave by police.
People also gathered unmasked outside the Nowra Council building.
In the Hunter, 18 people were arrested across the four police districts.
They included eight arrests in Lake Macquarie, five in Port Stephens-Hunter, four in Hunter Valley and one in Newcastle.
One officer received minor injuries after being called to Port Stephens Council chambers at Raymond Terrace about 8am on Tuesday, where about 30 people had gathered.
Police said a senior officer approached a 57-year-old man about not wearing a mask when the man allegedly “became agitated and was inciting the crowd to approach police’’.
“The inspector attempted to arrest the man before he grabbed the officer and pushed him backwards,’’ police said in a statement.
”He continued to resist arrest before being placed into a police vehicle.’’
The man was charged with a range of offences and granted conditional bail to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court on November 1.
The officer did not require hospital treatment.
There were 41 PINs issued across the Hunter, including 12 in Newcastle and Pott Stephens-Hunter, 11 in Lake Macquarie and six in the Hunter Valley.
Earlier on Facebook groups had posted a call to arms.
It read: “Anzacs. On some level you know the time to stand has come. Tuesday 31st August, beginning 9am. Please be upstanding. Every local council chamber, every state parliament house, the home of every State Governor, the Federal Parliament Canberra, The home of the Governor-general Canberra. We front up. We stand up, We deal to it. Enough is Enough!”
Brad Hazzard has slammed those who took to the streets and urged them instead to listen to medical advice.
“There’s a certain group who are unfortunately spending more time on social media and listening to people with crackpot ideas than you will have reading the scientific journals and talking to the doctors,” he said. “My advice is to talk to your doctor about what you should be doing to stop this virus.”
NSW Police said it was aware of the situation and is “monitoring it closely.”
BREAKDOWN OF ARRESTS AND PINs ISSUED
Central Metropolitan Region:
Parliament House: 3 arrested and 5 PINs issued
Government House: 7 arrested and 6 PINs issued
Hurstville Council: 6 PINs issued
Rockdale Council: 3 arrested and 43 PINs issued
Waverley Council: 4 arrested and 14 PINs issued
Randwick: Up to 30 people dispersed on police arrival
Inner West Council-Petersham: 1 arrested and 8 PINs issued
Sutherland Shire Council: 4 arrested and 27 PINs issued
North West Metropolitan Region:
Hornsby Council: 3 arrested and 3 PINs issued
Ryde Council: 1 arrested and 5 PINs issued
Dee Why Council and Mona Vale Library: 3 arrested and 20 PINs issued
Katoomba Council: 10 PINs issued
Penrith Council and MP Office: 3 arrested and 43 PINs issued
Hawkesbury City Council: 8 PINs issued
Blacktown Council: 5 arrested and 20 PINs issued
Mosman Council: Up to 15 people dispersed on police arrival
The Hills Council: 6 arrested and 9 PINs issued
South West Metropolitan Region:
Pheasants Nest truck stop: 1 PIN issued
Fairfield City Council: 6 arrested
Cumberland Council: 1 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Bankstown Council: 1 arrested and 7 PINs issued
Camden Council: 1 arrested and 4 PINs issued
Picton Council: 1 arrested and 10 PINs issued
Campbelltown Council: 2 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Liverpool Council: 2 arrested and 4 PINs issued
Canada Bay Council: 2 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Strathfield Council: 3 arrested and 5 PINs issued
Roselands Shopping Centre: Up to 50 people dispersed on police arrival
Campsie: 1 arrested and 1 PIN issued
Northern Region:
Tweed Heads PD (Tweed Shire Council-Murwillumbah, Byron Bay Shire Council-Mullumbimby, MP Office-Tweed Heads, Sleepy Hollow Vehicle Rest Area): 3 arrested and 25 PINs issued
Richmond PD (Lismore Council, Kyogle Council, Ballina Council, MP Office-Ballina): 11 arrested and 24 PINs issued
Coffs-Clarence PD (Coffs Harbour City Council, Clarence Valley Council-Grafton, Bellingen Shire Council, Clarence Valley Council-MacLean): 19 arrested and 19 PINs issued
Mid North Coast PD (Hastings Shire Council, Nambucca Valley Council, Kempsey Shire Council): 2 arrested and 21 PINs issued
Manning-Great Lakes PD (Mid Coast Council Chambers-Taree): 5 arrested and 20 PINs issued
Hunter Valley PD (Scone Local Council, Singleton Local Council, Cessnock Local Council): 4 arrested and 6 PINs issued
Port Stephens-Hunter PD (Maitland Local Council, Port Stephens Local Council): 5 arrested and 12 PINs issued
Newcastle City PD (City of Newcastle Council): 1 arrested and 12 PINs issued
Lake Macquarie PD (Lake Macquarie City Council): 8 arrested and 11 PINs issued
Tuggerah Lakes PD (Central Coast City Council-Wyong): 4 arrested and 8 PINs issued
Brisbane Water PD (Central Coast City Council, Gosford): 2 arrested and 10 PINs issued
Southern Region:
Wollongong Council: 2 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Goulburn Council: 1 arrested and 5 PINs issued
Southern Highlands (Moss Vale) Council: 2 arrested and 6 PINs issued
Shellharbour Council: 1 arrested and 3 PINs issued
Cooma Post Office: Six people dispersed on police arrival
Albury Council: 1 arrested and 9 PINs issued
Berrigan Council: 1 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Bega: 5 PINs issued
Moruya: 1 arrested and 10 PINs issued
Nowra: Up to 40 people dispersed on police arrival
Ulladulla: 2 arrested and 2 PINs issued
Griffith Council: Up to 15 people dispersed on police arrival
Wagga Wagga Council: 2 arrested and 4 PINs issued
Snowy Mountains Council-Tumut: About 18 people dispersed on police arrival
Western Region:
Tamworth Council: 1 arrested and 9 PINs issued
Gunnedah Council: 9 PINs issued
Mudgee Council: 3 arrested and 8 PINs issued
Bathurst Council: 20 PINs issued
Armidale Council: 4 PINs issued
Inverell Council: 1 arrested and 8 PINs issued
Glen Innes Council: 2 arrested and 11 PINs issued
Uralla: 1 arrested and 8 PINs issued
Orange Council: 4 arrested and 14 PINs issued
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