Dandenong anti-lockdown protesters warned after ugly police stand-off
“Anti-police” protesters appear to be hijacking a nightly anti-lockdown demonstration in Dandenong, with the illegal gathering threatened with pepper spray during an ugly confrontation with officers. It comes as police brace for a massive Melbourne CBD protest that could attract up to 8000.
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Victoria’s top cop warned police will be out in force in Dandenong if anti-lockdown protests go ahead on Thursday.
It comes the day after police made a number of arrests at a tense protest involving about 100 people.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said seven protesters were arrested and dozens more issued $1652 fines for taking part in the illegal demonstrations held daily since Monday.
He said anti-authoritarians appeared to be hijacking the protests and would be held to account.
“They might not be happy with the lockdown but no one is,” he told 3AW.
“Some people are taking advantage … they are anti-police, anti-authority, anti-everything and are using the situation to get up to no good.
“Nothing entitles them to protest in public. We will get more police out there and do everything we can to hold them to account.”
Police are bracing for a mass anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne’s CBD next Saturday, with indications up to 8000 may attend.
Mr Patton said the stage four state of disaster unlocked strong new powers for police to quash protests before they happened and warned of swift consequences for those who attend.
“If people intend to go, my absolute clear warning is we will be doing everything we can to stop people attending that protest and anyone who does intend to process will be infringement where we possibly can,” he said.
Asked about why the police response to recent protests was so different to the Black Lives Matter protest, Mr Patton pointed to the legislative powers unlocked under stage four restrictions and the huge increase in community COVID-19 cases.
“It is not allowable under the guidelines we currently have,” he said.
“We said the Black Lives Matter protest should not go ahead, that it was unlawful and we infringed the organisers.
“But one of the primary (objectives) was getting that balance. We saw cities burning overseas, we saw public disorder and attacks on police, rioting and damage to property and arson. The primary goal for us at that time was to stop that from occurring.”
HOW PROTEST DRAMA UNFOLDED
Officers clashed with the group about 5.20pm on Wednesday, threatening protesters with pepper spray as they marched down a Dandenong road.
The protesters hurled abuse at police, calling them “dogs” and “animals”.
During a brief showdown in the middle of the road, police held up pepper spray canisters and ordered the group to move on.
A roadblock was temporarily set up at the corner of Kirkham Rd and Langley Crescent.
Members of the group said they weren’t doing anything wrong and had not organised a protest but were simply out exercising.
One man told the Herald Sun they were part of the Albanian community.
“There’s a few Serbs but we’re mostly Albanian,” he said.
“There’s no aim to this, it’s just us coming out. We all like to exercise at 5 o’clock.”
The man said they were unhappy with the large police presence and the fact people were being arrested.
The Herald Sun saw several people arrested for not following move-on orders and not providing their name and IDs when asked.
The Herald Sun also saw dozens of attendees taunt police.
One man was seen saying: “You f---ing dog, get a real job”.
He was then stopped by police and questioned on the spot.
Another man explained they had been walking in a large group for protection.
“We fear that the police might arrest us at any time, so we feel that we’re safer if we come in a group,” he said.
“We all keep our distance, we’re all wearing our masks.”
Almost all people walking the street were seen wearing masks.
At least four men, all from Dandenong, were arrested after failing to provide identification for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions.
A 28-year-old was charged with assaulting and resisting police, failing to state his name and address and breaching the chief health officer directions.
A 19-year-old was charged with using threatening words, failing to state his name and address and breaching the chief health officer directions.
A 22-year-old was charged with failing to state his name and address and breaching the chief health officer directions.
All three were released pending summons.
A 43-year-old man was charged with failing to state his name and address and breaching the chief health officer directions.
He was bailed to appear before Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on December 11.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police issued nine fines were also issued during a protest at the George Andrews Reserve.
Police said the protest was still under investigation and would consider issuing penalty notices for anyone else found to be in breach of Victoria’s coronavirus restrictions.
Wednesday’s event followed similar meet-ups on Monday and Tuesday, which resulted in multiple arrests and fines.
Victoria Police said it was aware of “a recurring protest which is scheduled to take place at the George Andrews Reserve in Dandenong each afternoon”.
During Monday’s meet-up, 11 people were issued $1,652 fines for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions.
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