Chantal Watergate demands Dandenong police delete her records after arrest
A woman who was arrested after failing to wear a mask and provide her details to police has filmed herself “serving” officers and demanding her details be removed from the system. It follows a long line of incidents by “Karens” who refuse to wear masks.
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A Melbourne woman has demanded police delete her name from their records after she was arrested for failing to wear a face mask and failing to provide her name and address.
Chantal Watergate said she was questioned by police over failing to wear a mask in public – a requirement under the chief health officer’s directive.
Ms Watergate said she was taken into a holding cell on Friday while police searched her bag for identification.
In a video posted to Facebook by “pandemic” lawyer Peter Little, Ms Watergate “served” a statutory declaration which detailed the events that took place leading up to her arrest, as well as a notice of prohibition.
“I’m hoping to just get all my name off their records, that’s the outcome that I want today. I’m not interested in suing at this stage, but maybe we can look at that later,” she said.
“I just want my name scratched from all their records because I did nothing wrong.”
Ms Watergate claimed she had proof that she was an asthmatic, but police wouldn’t accept the paperwork because it didn’t specify her condition prevented her from wearing a mask.
‘BUNNINGS KAREN’ BOOTED FROM TV
A Melbourne woman who posted footage of herself refusing to wear a mask at Bunnings travelled to regional Victoria to get her nails done but says she had a valid reason.
Anti-masker Lizzy Rose visited a nail salon in Romsey, in the Macedon Ranges, which is outside the Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown zone.
Ms Rose claimed on 7 News she had a letter stating she could travel because was studying.
Ms Rose has attracted widespread criticism for her video of herself not wearing a mask and arguing with staff at Maribyrnong Bunnings.
The self-proclaimed exorcist and “eclectic high priestess”, witch, psychic and tarot reader, told the Herald Sun she did not wear a mask because of a medical condition.
She said she objected to the government order for masks to be mandatory.
She was in Bunnings to buy a shovel to build a Viking firepit and claimed to have shown the medical certificate to staff. “I started filming to protect myself,” she said.
She’s seen spouting coronavirus conspiracy theories as a staff member calls police.
Her excuse came after she appeared on the Today Show on Tuesday morning in a bizarre interview, during which she declared the coronavirus pandemic was “orchestrated” and “biochemically engineered”.
“The numbers are not true,” she claimed of the virus’ ever-growing infection and death toll.
Five minutes in, host Karl Stefanovic ended the interview.
“Unfortunately there are people out there who are going to side with you, and that’s just irresponsible in the current climate. You know, I can’t even listen to you anymore. Nup. It’s wrong,” Stefanovic said as Ms Rose’s mic was turned down and she left the screen.
The Today host then apologised.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I thought we’d in some shape or form get to a reasonable excuse as to why she was doing that, otherwise we wouldn’t have got her on in the first place. There’s no reasonable explanation.”
Another Melbourne anti-masker says she will sue police after being “assaulted” during her tirade at another of the hardware chain’s stores in Melbourne.
The shopper, unmasked on Monday as Kerry Nash, took to social media and claimed she planned to sue police over their treatment of her.
Under the false name Quincy Adams, she claimed she had been checked over by doctors after the incident in which she was “assaulted”.
“We will be taking legal action against the police,” she said in the post on Monday night.
“If anyone comes across any other videos online please share with me. They will only support my legal defence as we didn’t do anything wrong.
“We now have a video of me actually being arrested which we hadn’t been able to record as we were both being assaulted at the same time.”
She also thanked people for their “wonderful support”.
The managing director of Bunnings has also spoken out over the incident.
Mike Schneider wrote in a public Facebook post on Monday night that the hardware chain had “put the welfare and care of our team and customers at the core of what we do” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“As the community has seen from a couple of disappointing incidents over the weekend, our team are doing everything they can to help keep everyone safe in sometimes challenging circumstances,” he wrote.
“To be absolutely clear, we require that all customers wear a face mask or face covering if they visit a Bunnings store or Trade Centre in metropolitan Melbourne, or the Mitchell Shire.
“Exceptions will only be made for children aged under 12 and customers with valid medical reasons.”
The “Bunnings Karen” case sparked a national storm on social media, but Mr Schneider said: “Regardless of what some people have said online, we make no apologies for following the advice of the Chief Health Officer in order to keep everyone in our stores safe.
“And to those who are claiming we have backed down from enforcing these rules and apologised, let me be clear: we haven’t and won’t. And any representations that we have are false.”
“We won’t tolerate abuse against our team members and any customers who do not respect the hard work of our team will be denied entry — and if needed will be referred to Victoria Police.”
Anti-masker Ms Nash has been revealed as an “out-of-control” neighbour from hell.
Fed-up residents who live near Ms Nash told the Herald Sun they were not surprised to learn she had filmed herself harassing Bunnings staff.
Ms Nash — a former iSelect worker — kept a low profile on Monday, even calling police after reporters knocked on her door.
But neighbours said police had been called on Ms Nash for her frequent parties and loud music, while the fire brigade had attended for her big backyard bonfires.
“This is nothing new for her, she is always banging on about how she’s gonna sue police and always argues with them,” one neighbour said.
“She acts all tough and goes on and on about all that law sh-t and her human rights.”
iSelect released a statement saying they were “appalled” by her behaviour and that she was no longer employed at the company.
“Kerry Nash has not worked for iSelect since December ’18,” the statement said.
“We are appalled by #BunningsKaren’s refusal to wear a mask without a legitimate reason.
“We fully comply with COVID restrictions and any staff unable to WFH (work from home) must wear a mask in our office, in accordance with the guidelines.”
On her LinkedIn profile, Ms Nash referred to herself as an iSelect senior sales consultant employed since 2012.
She wrote she had a “demonstrated history of working in the consumer services industry” and experience in customer service and coaching.
Premier Daniel Andrews slammed people trying to dodge mask rules and pedalling conspiracy theories, including social media chatter that the government was paying for the funerals of COVID-19 victims.
“People can judge for themselves the efficacy, the credibility of people who are running those sort of keyboard warrior campaigns,” a clearly frustrated Mr Andrews said.
“Seriously, one more comment about human rights. It is about human life.”
It follows a spate of “anti-maskers’’ challenging police, hardware and postal staff over their right to not wear a mask and claiming their rights are being impinged.
They include:
• Self-proclaimed exorcist Lizzy Rose, who was at the centre of another Bunnings quarrel, and declared: “People have a right. Nobody can force you to stop breathing air.’’
• Eve Black, who filmed herself breaching a police roadblock last week and attended a big conspiracy gathering at a Cranbourne gym. “A great night together discussing the putrid conduct of the police, government and media lies,” she wrote on social media.
• Covidiots who graffitied a Yarra Glen bushfire memorial, writing: “COVID is a planned attack on our rights”.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent described anti-maskers as “childish”, prioritising online notoriety above public safety.
Twenty-three people were fined $200 for not wearing a mask in the past 24 hours and 10 for attending a St Albans church service.
“The behaviour of those who blatantly choose to disregard the rules on the insistence their human rights being breached is alarming,” Mr Nugent said.
But dissenter Ms Rose, who also describes herself as an “eclectic high priestess”, witch, psychic and tarot reader was not bothered by the criticisms.
She told the Herald Sun she did not wear a mask because of a medical condition but objected to the government order for masks to be mandatory.
She was in Bunnings to buy a shovel to build a Viking firepit and claimed to have shown the medical certificate to staff. “I started filming to protect myself,” she said.
PAGAN MINISTER TURNS ANTI-MASK KAREN
The self-proclaimed exorcist and pagan minister called Lizzy Rose is the woman at the centre of another Bunnings anti-mask protest who says masks breach people’s rights.
The Melbourne protester also describes herself as a psychic, tarot reader, “eclectic high priestess” and witch.
Ms Rose told the Herald Sun she did not wear a mask because of a medical condition but objected to the state government order for masks to be mandatory.
She was in Bunnings to buy a shovel to build a Viking firepit and claimed to have shown the medical certificate to staff.
“I started filming to protect myself. As soon as I started filming they went quiet.’’
“I object to the masks unless you are ill.
“People have a right. 32. No one should force you to be immunised against your will,’’ she said.
The dissenter claimed to have thousands of people supporting her and was not bothered by public criticism of her stance.
Ms Rose defended posting a selfie wearing a mask in March with comments backing masks.
“That was the first strain of the virus and it was dangerous and it in the air. Right now there is no airborne to the degrees they are saying,” she said.
The row unfolded as Victoria recorded 532 new COVID-19 cases – a daily record – and six Victorians died overnight including five in aged care.
Ms Rose said the virus was made in a lab in China and that 99.9 per cent of people would survive it.
“It’s not a pandemic,’’ she said.
The government had no right to force people to wear masks, she said.
“This is not a conspiracy theory, these are facts.’’
In one of Ms Rose’s recent Instagram posts, snapped in Maribyrnong Bunnings, she declared: “The system is corrupt Justice must prevail In strength and upholding our rights Lizzy Rose xo.”
Ms Rose, from Melbourne’s northwest, has also appeared on TV breakfast and lifestyle programs.
LAW MAKES THREATS TO SUE LAUGHABLE
Anti-maskers and coronavirus conspiracy theorists be warned — the law is not on your side.
On Monday, Victoria’s peak human rights body rejected growing conspiracy theorists’ online rants to reject COVID-19 restrictions, declaring the government’s actions are lawful.
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has also backed the State Government on compulsory mask wearing.
“The requirement for residents to wear a face mask or covering when leaving the house is a lawful directive that does not violate any rights set out under Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities or any international human rights instruments,’’ a statement said.
The body further states that the Victorian Charter requires public authorities – such as Victoria Police or the Department for Health and Human Services – to take proactive steps to safeguard rights, which includes the right to health.
Exceptions to wearing a mask include medical reasons, communicating with someone who is hearing-impaired, or exercising.
Eve Black, also known as Eve Limberiou, became the poster girl for recalcitrant Australians after she recorded herself passing though a Melbourne checkpoint – sans mask – where she refused to answer police questions.
Victoria Police are investigating the incident and could fine Ms Black $1600 for the breach.
She has shared a Supreme Court judgment to bolster her position that she was within her rights to refuse to co-operate, or speak with, police.
But top barrister Paul Holdenson QC said police are mandated to sanction those refusing to wear a mask or roaming without a valid reason.
“If people wish to adopt a carefree attitude as to where they go and whether or not they wear a mask, then they are exposing themselves to arrest,” he said.
“If they wish to exercise their common law right to refuse to speak to a police officer when approached, they do so at their own peril.”
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