Gold Coast: NSW Police appeal for information after two Tweed Byron officers sprayed in face with mystery substance at protest
Police have released a photo of a woman they want to speak to after officers were sprayed with a mystery substance, which caused a burning sensation, during a protest in the Tweed.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
POLICE have released a photo of a woman they want to speak to after officers were sprayed with a mystery substance, which caused a burning sensation, during a protest in the Tweed.
NSW Police said two officers were sprayed in the face while arresting another woman during an unauthorised Covid-19 “freedom” protest at Knox Park, Murwillumbah on Tuesday.
The Tweed Byron Police officers attended the protest, which occurred in lockdown, and “spoke to a number of attendees in relation to breaches of the Public Health Order”.
“During the arrest of a woman, the crowd became hostile towards police, attempting to obstruct officers,” a statement read.
“A second woman approached them and sprayed an unknown substance in the face of two male senior constables.
“This caused an immediate burning sensation for the officers and the woman left.
“Neither officer required hospital treatment and decontaminated themselves.
“As inquiries continue, police have released an image of a woman who may be able to assist with their inquiries.”
The woman is described as caucasian in appearance, with brown shoulder length hair.
She was wearing a light-coloured cardigan and a dress with a pink pattern.
Police have urged anyone who may be able to assist with investigations, or who has smartphone footage of the protest, to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Those engaging in unauthorised protests were warned by police that body worn vision and phone footage would be used to identify any further offending.
Police charge Hollywood stuntman after Tweed ‘freedom’ protest
September 2: have charged a Hollywood stuntman with unlawfully participating in an outdoor gathering after a Covid-19 “freedom” protest in the Tweed.
Tweed Byron Police arrested and charged Murwillumbah man Michael Corrigan, 52, on Wednesday afternoon after his alleged illegal involvement in protest activity on horseback.
Mr Corrigan has worked as a stunt performer in films including Superman Returns and The Wolverine.
“Following investigations, a 52-year-old man attended Murwillumbah Police Station about 4.30pm yesterday, where he was arrested and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station,” a NSW Police statement read.
“The man was charged with unlawfully participate in outdoor gathering/stay at home area.”
The charge relates to a protest in the shire on Tuesday.
Mr Corrigan has been released on conditional bail to face Murwillumbah Local Court on September 22.
Police crackdown after protesters snub lockdown rules
September 1: Officers have issued 25 fines and arrested three people linked to Covid-19 protests across the locked down Tweed Byron Police District on Tuesday.
NSW Police said the penalty infringement notices and arrests were the result of rallies at Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Sleepy Hollow Vehicle Rest Area and Tweed Heads.
Hollywood stuntman and protester Michael Corrigan, 52, captured media attention on Tuesday after appearing on horseback at the Murwillumbah “freedom” protest outside Tweed Shire Council headquarters.
He was captured on video egging on the crowd, while urging protesters to respect police.
Mr Corrigan took aim at state premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladys Berejiklian and raised conspiracy theories prevalent online about coronavirus vaccinations.
It came after the was fined by Queensland and NSW police for taking part in a protest on either side of the border on August 22.
It’s not yet known if Mr Corrigan, who has appeared in films including Thor: Ragnarok, has been fined after the subsequent Murwillumbah protest.
NSW Police said in a statement late on Tuesday afternoon that officers had arrested more than 150 people and issued almost 600 fines following “unauthorised protest activity across NSW” on Tuesday.
“Acting on information and intelligence, the NSW Police Force deployed more than 900 officers this morning to conduct high-visibility patrols of various sites expected to be targeted by unauthorised protests, including NSW Parliament House and local council chambers,” it read.
“General Duties officers from across NSW were supported by the Public Order and Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Police Transport Command, the Dog and Mounted Unit, and other specialist units.
“Police responded to 79 unauthorised protests, during which three officers received minor injuries following interactions with protesters at Lismore, Murwillumbah and Raymond Terrace.
“In total, 153 people were arrested, many of whom were released after officers were able to establish their identity to issue a PIN.”
Protesters statewide were charged with offences including various breaches of the public health order, assault police, resist arrest, refusing to comply with police direction, and failing to move on.
In total, 573 fines were issued for not wear fitted masked covering in prescribed outdoor gathering ($500) not comply with noticed direction ($1000) and unlawfully participate in outdoor public gathering – stay at home order ($3000).
Interstate truckies fined after M1 blockaded in Covid-19 protest
August 31: POLICE have slapped two interstate truckies and a van driver with significant fines after the “Freedom of Choice” Covid-19 truck rally on the Gold Coast, which caused chaos on the M1.
Gold Coast police confirmed the truckies have been issued infringement notices totalling more than $4000 due to their alleged involvement in Monday’s rally.
The divisive rally involving a limited number of drivers was protesting Queensland’s mandatory vaccination requirement for essential workers and calling for Australia to open up.
Two truck drivers – a 33-year-old New South Wales man and a 35-year-old Victorian man – were both fined for stopping on a freeway and failing to comply with moving heavy vehicle.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old van driver was fined for obstruct path of drivers and stopping on a freeway, a police spokeswoman said.
It was rumoured a second rally would occur on Tuesday, as originally planned, but that has not yet eventuated.
Readers have been asked on Facebook whether they supported the coronavirus protest on Monday morning and a strong majority indicated they did back the truckies’ actions.
Truckie says disruptive M1 protest ‘all for the greater good’
August 31: A POPULAR driver involved in the contentious “Freedom of Choice” Covid-19 truck rally on the Gold Coast says the “minor inconvenience” on the M1 was “all for the greater good”.
Tony Fulton, of the 98,000-strong Tones Truckin’ Stories Facebook page, has released a video on the social media platform after Queensland Police broke up the protest on Monday morning.
The rally which brought the Pacific Motorway to a halt for up to an hour has been slammed by Gold Coast police Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman and Coast politicians Meaghan Scanlon and Stuart Robert.
A limited number of truck drivers were protesting Queensland’s mandatory vaccination requirement for essential workers and calling for Australia to open up.
Mr Fulton said: “So, that’s all done. We got moved on. Hopefully we made the point of what we want to get across there.”
“It didn’t go 100 per cent to plan obviously, but it did still work and it got the message across and there was a lot of support there,” he said.
“And even the cars who got caught in the effort, as soon as we moved on they started overtaking us. We had that many beeps and thumbs of support even though they were in it.
“Even though it was a bit of a minor inconvenience to them, it was all for the greater good.
“We’re going to move up and go to another location and continue a gathering and a rally.”
Mr Fulton said police “separated” the truckies at Tugun and told them "to leave the state”.
“So we’re respecting those wishes and heading back into New South Wales now,” he said.
“We’ll get back over there and probably gather up around Chinderah on the NSW side, I guess, yeah.”
Mr Fulton said there was a “lot of cameras sort of thrown in our faces” and truckies got their message across.
“That’s the freedom of choice and speech.” he said.
He said he hoped Australians could “live their lives before everyone in the country comes out of lockdown and there’s absolutely nothing out there for you to do because everyone has gone broke”.
Mr Fulton said some businesses like roadhouses were “shutting their doors because they just don’t get the foot traffic anymore”.
Labor’s Gaven MP Ms Scanlon linked the protest to the One Nation political party.
“Blocking the M1 is nothing but a stupid and selfish stunt from One Nation, disrupting Gold Coasters who are just trying to get to work,” she wrote on Twitter.
It prompted a spray from the LNP’s Burleigh MP Michael Hart.
Hello this is a Minister of the Queensland Government telling us blocking the M1 and stopping people getting to work is a stupid and selfish stunt? Does she think before she posts?” he wrote.
Earlier on Monday, Act Supt Wildman flagged likely charges against truckies involved in the protest.
Truckies‘ mandatory vax protest brings traffic to halt on M1
Earlier: Motorists were warned of significant delays on the M1 on Monday morning as truckies gathered on the Gold Coast to protest Queensland’s border vaccination mandate.
Truck drivers met around Caltex Reedy Creek for the “Freedom of Choice” rally early in the morning before beginning a convoy southbound.
The protest comes on the back of mounting frustration over the requirement for essential workers to have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to be allowed to cross the Queensland-New South Wales border.
Truckies have called for the requirement to be dumped and the country to open up.
One driver identified only as “Brock” told media: “Mate, end all lockdowns, people go back to work and kids go back to school.”
That’s what we want out of it. We’ve had enough of it
“It’s all about choice at the end of the day. You know, if you don’t want to get the vax, don’t. If you do want it to get it, get it. But don’t keep locking up people.”
However, the protest has proved controversial among drivers and not all support the action, judging by discussion on industry social media pages.
Queensland Police said delays were expected along the Pacific Motorway (M1) southbound near exit 86 “due to protest activity”.
“Diversions are in place and motorists are asked to avoid the area,” the police service stated.
Traffic was moving slowly on the M1 just before 7am, after some of the trucks impeding traffic began to move on.
Gold Coast police Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said the truckies faced criminal charges.
He said emergency vehicles could have been impeded by the protest, which was of “great concern”.
“There’s a bigger picture in this around putting lives at risk which is really, really disappointing,” he told the ABC.
“We are investigating and obviously action will be taken against those particular drivers at a later time.”
He said the protesting truckies were wrong in their belief that heavy vehicle drivers needed to be vaccinated to cross the border.
“There’s a (Covid-19) testing regimen for heavy vehicle drivers coming into Queensland, not a vaccination requirement,” he said.
The Coast rally has attracted national media attention.
Morning breakfast program The Today Show reported that trucks had come to a stop on the M1 and traffic was already backing up just after 6am.
Banners were draped between the heavy vehicles.
Some motorists in the vicinity of the protest beeped their horns in support.
It’s been reported by Today some truckies began to clear the motorway after a request by One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson.
Gold Coast MP Stuart Robert, who represents the Federal seat of Fadden, told Today he had a “little bit” of sympathy for the truckies “but this is not the way we pour it out”.
“I get the issue where public good meets personal liberty, however. Truckies are important,” he said.
“If you want to make a point, great, make that point but don’t inconvenience thousands and thousands of people.”
Mr Robert agreed Australians were sick of being stuck in lockdowns and he described the National (Covid-19) Plan as a “national hope”.
“It gives us a road map and we can all see it, that’s why it’s so important to us all. We’re so close, we can see ourselves getting there,” he said.
“And truckies are important and I get it.
“We’ve got to get stuff moving and we know the truckies move around the place and we know public health is really important at the same time.”
The truckie protest comes after a rally at the border on Sunday, which resulted in the arrest of three protesters and one person being charged with the serious assault of a Queensland Police officer.
The rally of about 100 people was relatively small when compared to the protest involving about 1000 people at the border the previous weekend.
More Coverage
What are the symptoms? What are the rules? New Covid strain explained
The Covid threat that emerged before Christmas doesn’t appear to be going anywhere in Queensland. ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
‘Unacceptable’: Tens of thousands of drivers dodge RBT
There’s been an astounding drop in the number of Gold Coast drivers being breath tested over the past five years. HOW THEY ESCAPED AN RBT