Lockdown protester refuses to give name, arrested in neighbour’s front yard
A man shouted “how dare you do this to Aussies” as he was handcuffed in his neighbour’s front yard after refusing to give his name to police.
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A Victorian man shouted “how dare you do this to Aussies” as he was arrested in his neighbour’s front yard after refusing to give his name to police.
In videos posted to Facebook, Marty Focker said he was hanging out at a house next door when the “Victorian fun police” arrived to spoil the party.
Two policemen arrived in the suburban street after his neighbour set up a smoke machine and was playing loud music from a DJ table to entertain children on Sunday afternoon.
Clearly fed up by continuing protests and blatant restriction breaches of Melburnians who refuse to co-operate, police quickly moved to arrest Mr Focker when he failed to provide his name and address.
Mr Focker gave police his first name and admitted he didn’t live at the address and was from next door but refused to give his last name because he said he hadn’t committed an offence.
“This is how it’s going to go, Marty, unless you provide some sort of identification or state your name and we can confirm it, you will be arrested,” one policeman said.
When he again refused, the officers stepped forward to arrest Mr Focker, brushing aside the owner’s request not to enter his property.
“Seriously you guys are the worst, how dare you do this to Aussies,” Mr Focker said as he was handcuffed.
He said he was later released after police verified his identity.
“No offence was ever actually given to me beyond failing to give my name. There was no offence committed, which is why I didn’t want to give my name or ID,” he posted on Facebook.
Mr Focker had actually breached Melbourne’s stage 4 lockdown with people only allowed to leave their homes for one hour of exercise or shopping, medical treatment or caregiving and permitted work.
Socialising on a neighbour’s property is not permitted.
On his Facebook page, Mr Focker regularly posts coronavirus conspiracy theories and promotes resistance against restrictions, even sharing Sam Newman’s calls for Melburnians to illegally protest and take the city back.
Originally published as Lockdown protester refuses to give name, arrested in neighbour’s front yard