Victoria Police vow to stop ‘batshit crazy’ anti-lockdown protest planned for September 5
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius has won widepread praise from Victorians for his scolding rebuke of “tinfoil hat-wearing” COVID conspiracy theorists who are planning anti-lockdown protests across Melbourne. Read his stunning takedown here.
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One of Victoria’s highest ranking police officers has won over fans for his blunt take down of COVID conspiracy theorists.
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius made a scathing rebuke of the “tin foil hat brigade” at a press conference on Friday addressing a planned anti-restrictions protest.
“They’re taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their ridiculous notions about so called sovereign citizens, about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids,” he said.
“I mean It’s just crazy, it’s bats--t crazy nonsense.”
Many Victorians were full of praise for the direct, no-frills approach taken by Mr Cornelius in disparaging these groups publicly.
“Luke Cornelius is my new hero,” Twitter user Alli Parker said in a post.
“Bats--t crazy’ and ‘tin foil’ brigade. I laughed so hard.
“I love this straight-talking cop. Can we please see him every day at the Victoria press conference? He is a breath of fresh air!”
Another fan praised the cop’s honestly, saying he had simply called these groups out for what they were.
“Big round of applause to (Victoria Police) Asst Comm Luke Cornelius for calling extreme RW (right wing) anti-lockdown nutters for what they are – bats--t crazy. Well said, Luke,” the poster said.
“Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius is this week’s media star,” broadcaster and lawyer Bill O’Shea wrote.
“Who writes his lines? I’ve never seen a tin foil hat but accept you would be “bats--t crazy” to wear one.”
“Luke Cornelius sounds like the kind of cop who’d refer to you as ‘son’ and tell you to hurry up and get home when you were busted for being on your pushy at night without a light in the 1980s,” another person said in a post.
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius is this week’s media star. Who writes his lines? I’ve never seen a tin foil hat but accept you would be “batshit crazy†to wear one.
— Bill O'Shea (@Bill_oshea) August 28, 2020
Love this!!! Cornelius for PM! https://t.co/9zErx52mpR
— BossLady (@Christinemc1978) August 28, 2020
Luke Cornelius is our new hero. https://t.co/lxpEyJeLgw
— Mark Freeman (@Freeoh) August 28, 2020
Who’s with Victoria Police’s Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius? It’s all bat shit crazy nonsense, if you ask me...👮â€â™‚ï¸ðŸ‘ðŸ‘👊 https://t.co/1WSOjEY0sZ
— Murray Main (@MainMurray) August 28, 2020
Luke ‘call it like it is’ Cornelius is my hero of the week!
— When the Flames Turn Blue (@WhenTurn) August 28, 2020
Gold!
Luke Cornelius is my new hero. "Bat shit crazy" & "tin foil" brigade. I laughed so hard. I love this straight talking cop. Can we please see him every day at the Victoria press conference. He is a breath of fresh air! 😇😠@VictoriaPolice
— Alli Parker (@AllisonYarns) August 28, 2020
It comes after police have warned “utterly selfish” lockdown protesters who plan to gather in Melbourne’s CBD next weekend the activity has the potential to “send us backwards” in the fight against the coronavirus.
Officers have pleaded with the “small and selfish minority” to ditch their September 5 protest against the state’s stage four lockdown restrictions and say they will do everything possible to disrupt the “batshit crazy nonsense”.
They have already issued a search warrant at a 76-year-old Windsor man’s property and charged him with incitement for his alleged role in organising the protest.
Mr Cornelius said police usually supported the right to protest but now was not the time.
“The tinfoil hat wearing brigade are alive and well out there in our community,” Mr Cornelius said.
“They are taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so called ‘sovereign citizens’ about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids - it is batshit crazy nonsense. People need to wake up to themselves.”
Mr Cornelius said the mass gathering will jeopardise the health and safety of all Victorians.
“This activity has the potential to send us backwards,” he said.
“Why on earth would we be wanting to see an activity, a protest undertaken which would exacerbate this risk. Particularly in a point in time, where in the past couple of weeks, we have been able to turn this around.
“Participating in this protest also carries with it a serious risk at the very hard work of the vast majority of Victorians who have been complying, will be undone by a small and selfish minority of foolish people who would wilfully further expose us to the deadly virus.
“It would not only be ironic but also a tragedy if those who are advocating for a premature end to stage four restrictions by their selfish conduct risk the further spread of the virus.
“Now is not the time to protest.”
Police said they had been “actively engaging” with protest organisers with the aim of trying to postpone the event but they had been unsuccessful thus far.
“We are not just sitting on our hands waiting for this protest to occur,” Mr Cornelius said.
“These people have been saying ‘stuff you Victoria Police, stuff you the people of Victoria’, we are going to protest.
“We are prepared to take action to stop this. We have hundreds of police dedicated to this.
“You can expect that we, your police, will be looking to hold you to account. We will be arresting them, their feet won’t touch the ground.”
Police said they had seized multiple items from the protest organiser’s home including two laptops, a computer and two mobile phones.
The man has been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on February 8 next year.
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