Protesters rally in the city as lockdown ends
Thousands of protesters have marched through Melbourne’s CBD to rally against vaccine mandates and the Premier’s proposed pandemic powers.
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More than 3000 people have rallied against the Andrews government’s controversial new pandemic laws.
The demonstration kicked off in the CBD on Saturday afternoon with an acoustic musical performance.
Organisers urged protesters to socially distance and remain peaceful in light of the heavy police presence.
“We want to make sure this is a peaceful day, so we can get more and more numbers over the next couple of weeks,” one speaker said.
Organisers vowed to rally “every week” until industry wide vaccine mandates are scrapped.
Unlike the recent anti-vaccine protests, Saturday’s demonstration was legally permitted following the conclusion of the state’s sixth lockdown.
Victoria Police said in a statement it was aware of planned protest activity in Melbourne on Saturday.
“There will be a highly visible police presence to ensure the safety of the community and no breaches of the peace,” the statement said.
Hundreds have rallied to protest the state government's new pandemic management bill outside of the state library. pic.twitter.com/8sIqc3KiCx
— Mitch Ryan (@Mitchryan0) October 30, 2021
Many demonstrators waved Eureka Flags at Saturday’s rally.
Once used as a battle flag during the Eureka Stockade, the flag has become a regular fixture at the anti-lockdown demonstrations.
Others held signs which read ‘Not happy, Dan we say NO, to you and your bill.’ Another held a sign with a picture of the Victorian Premier and the state’s chief officer which read: ‘Do you trust these men with your children’s lives?’
Speakers at the rally lashed out at the state’s health measures, with particular focus on the city wide lockdowns and the vaccine mandates
“We declare, with conviction that we will no longer tolerate assaults on the things which make life worth living,” one man, who identified himself as a rally organiser said.
“And those things are security, connection, health and freedom.”
Demonstrators chanted “freedom!” and “sack Dan Andrews!”.
As the group marched up Bourke St, a protester jumped onto the bonnet of a Victoria Police vehicle and was arrested by officers.
The group then moved their protest outside state parliament to protest the Andrews government’s pandemic management bill.
The proposed bill, which passed the lower parliament on Thursday night, would give the Victorian premier the power to declare pandemics and enforce public health orders for three months at a time.
Liberal Democrat MP David Limbrick, who has refused to hand over his vaccine certificate to sit in parliament, attended the event and addressed the crowd.
Mr Limbrick said “we cannot let this bill pass”.
“Do we trust the government with more power?” he said.
“We’ve seen how they’ve used their power over the past 20 months.
“They’ve locked us in our homes. They told us that vaccines wouldn’t be mandatory. Then, they told us that we’d lose our jobs. Then, they told us that we’re going to have a segregated society.”
Independent MP Catherine Cumming, who only recently handed over her own vaccine certificate, was also in attendance.
Police walked alongside demonstrators who rallied from the state library on Swanston St and throughout the CBD.
Despite the wet weather, the crowd swelled as another group of protesters from another nearby demonstration joined the rally.
Demonstrators repeatedly chanted “stop the bill”.
Protester John said: “I believe the bill which is being pushed through parliament is dangerous and out of control”.
“I’ve got family who haven’t been vaccinated and they are terrified at the moment,” he said.
The people at today’s rally, he added “can see this is a dangerous bill that will be locked, which the next premier can use.”
Ms Cumming, who said she was a doctor of Traditional Chinese medicine, lashed out at health officials for not consulting her about the state’s health measures.
“As a doctor of Chinese medicine, they have not spoken to me!” she said.
She called on Labor MPs who opposed the bill to vote with their conscience and “cross the floor”.
Police officers guarded state parliament throughout the rally.
Parts of Bourke Street were blocked off with police vehicles.
At one point of the protest, demonstrators stood in silence as the Australian national anthem was played through rally speakers.
It was not the only “anthem” of the afternoon, with protesters singing John Farnham’s 80s mega hit You’re The Voice as they marched through the city.
A man also played a didgeridoo on parliament steps at the end of the protest.
The last speaker urged demonstrators to return to rally against next week, and until the pandemic bill and vaccine mandates are scrapped.
“The Australian spirit will never die … we are not going to give up,” he said.
“Let’s do the exact same thing we did today but double as big (next week)”.
Demonstrator Shane believes the majority of protesters were there to rally against the pandemic bill, and not industry wide vaccine mandates.
“It is absolutely ridiculous given the power already vested in the parliament … for the last 18 months there has been no transparency with the coronavirus situation,” he said.
Saturday’s crowd was made up of a diverse mix of ages and genders compared to the predominantly young men that attended the recent anti-vaccination construction protests.
Protester Amber speculated this was due to the heavy-handed police response at previous rallies.
“I was scared to come to the last few ones,” she said.
She believes more people will become more critical of the state government’s coronavirus response as the pandemic moves into the next year.
“I think the vaccinated will get frustrated when there are booster shots and more lockdowns,” she said.
The crowd began to disperse about 2pm, while police began to move on the few remainers half an hour later.
PROTESTERS PLEAD WITH POLICE
A man, who identified himself as Craig Backman, a former Senior Constable with Victoria Police, lashed out at the force over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Backman was familiar to the crowd after a letter where he criticised the force’s pandemic response was widely circulated on Telegram, a social media platform which has been popular with anti-lockdown rally organisers.
“Until recently I was a proud Senior Constable of the police,” Mr Backman told the rally.
“I came out against this CHO (chief health officer) nonsense and that is what it is, absolute nonsense.
“And my colleagues here they know it’s nonsense.”
He called on his former colleagues to listen to their conscience and refuse to enforce the Covid measures.
“You want to go down as the private army of a madman?,” he said to his former colleagues.
“You need to understand you are in a unique position to create history. you can change history and you can do it right here today.”
Protesters chanted “walk off the job” and “stand with us” following Mr Backman’s speech
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