Huge crowds attend vaccine mandate protests in Sydney and Melbourne

Thousands of ‘freedom’ protesters, including some controversial politicians, descended on cities across Australia on Saturday to rally against vaccine mandates.

Huge crowds of protesters descended on central Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday as part of organised rallies across the country against mandatory vaccinations.

The Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccination group organised protests on Saturday in 30 cities and towns across Australia.

Footage shows huge crowds in Melbourne. Credit: Channel 7

A large crowd converged on Melbourne’s state parliament with live video footage from a news helicopter showing a massive group of people blocking Spring Street, some holding banners or beating drums.

The group moved down Bourke St after 1pm, to the sound of cheering, horns and drums, as well as the regular chanting of “Sack (premier) Dan Andrews”.

The Melbourne protesters gathered at the Treasury Gardens. Picture: Tim Carrafa

The Melbourne demonstrators swept through the CBD and marched down Flinders Street. Picture: Tim Carrafa

The group swept through the CBD and marched down Flinders Street before gathering at Treasury Gardens for an afternoon of speeches.

The crowd eventually dwindled as demonstrators either headed home or returned to state parliament, where people have been camping out to protest the Andrews government’s planned pandemic legislation.

In Sydney, a sizeable crowd of people of all ages gathered in Hyde Park, some draped in Australian flags and others holding placards with slogans including “Never lock down again. Less government, more freedom” and “No one can stop the awakening of humanity”.

Rebel MP Craig Kelly, whose opposition to coronavirus vaccines and restrictions propelled his defection from the Liberal Party earlier this year, spoke at the Hyde Park rally and then live streamed the event.

Footage he shared on his Twitter account shows speakers and musicians taking to a stage to speak about vaccine mandates and play music in front of a large crowd.

In one clip shared by Mr Kelly, a band performs The Seekers’classic “I Am Australian” and the protesters join in to sing “I am, you are, we are Australian” before breaking into cheers and thunderous applause.

Mr Kelly, who is now a United Australia Party MP, spoke to the crowd and tried to drum up support for his political cause to “blast” the major parties out of parliament.

Young children were present at the rallies in Sydney and Melbourne.

A Victoria Police spokesman said no arrests had been made or fines issued at the Melbourne event.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said approximately 9000 people attended the Sydney protest, which the force approved after they received an application from the organisers.

“No issues arose during the protest; no arrests were made and no infringement notices were issued,” she said.

The protesters in Sydney were railing against vaccine mandates. Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said earlier that organisers needed to “take reasonably practicable steps” to ensure people attending the rally were not a close contact of a Covid-19 case, ensure people wear a mask and socially distance, and not attend if they are feeling unwell.

Protesters across the country claim vaccine mandates are discriminatory.

A person attended the Sydney rally dressed as former US president Donald Trump. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

On the Gold Coast, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson addressed the crowd to wild applause, banging drums and chants of “Pauline, Pauline”.

Senator Hanson this week failed to introduce a bill to federal parliament that sought to “protect” Australians from mandatory vaccination policies introduced by state governments.

“I said to (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison last week when I had a half an hour conversation with him on the phone – he said ‘your bill doesn’t comply with the constitution’ – I said ‘well go out and bloody well change it so it does’,” she said.

Her One Nation colleague Malcolm Roberts also attended.

Queensland protesters on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay have been told they face a $4000 fine if they deliberately breach the chief health officer’s directives.

Rallies were also organised in Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Ballina, Inverell, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Bermagui, Launceston, Bunbury, Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Broome, and Kununurra.

Across Australia, about 86.3 per cent of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while 92.1 per cent have had at least one dose of a vaccine.

Originally published as Huge crowds attend vaccine mandate protests in Sydney and Melbourne