Protesters clash with police as thousands march against Australia lockdown

Police block the way to marching protesters in Sydney

Protesters in Sydney carried signs and banners bearing anti-lockdown messages

Thousands marched through Australia's two biggest cities in anti-lockdown protests Saturday, sparking violent clashes with police in Sydney.

Dozens of protesters were arrested after an unauthorised march flouted public health orders in Sydney, while several confrontations with police broke out during the hours-long rally.

Thousands also crowded several streets in Melbourne after gathering outside the state parliament in the early afternoon.

"I am utterly disgusted by the illegal protesters in the city today whose selfish actions have compromised the safety of all of us," the premier of Sydney's state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, said in a statement.

Hundreds of police responded to the Sydney protest, with several demonstrators pulled from the crowd in handcuffs by officers. Police said they issued nearly 100 fines and arrested 57 people.

New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott said a team of detectives would be scouring footage to identify and charge as many people as possible in the coming days.

"It's quite clear that you know, Sydney isn't immune from morons as well."

Organisers had dubbed the protest a "freedom" rally and publicised it on social media pages frequently used to spread vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Helicopters buzzed above the streets of Sydney, a city of over five million people that is struggling to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant.

After escaping much of the early pandemic unscathed, around half of Australia's 25 million people are now in lockdown across several cities.

Just 11 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

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