Anti-lockdown protests: Violent scuffles in Victoria, arrests in NSW
More than 4000 anti-lockdown protestors marched through Melbourne, with six police officers hospitalised and more than $1.2m in fines issued.
Six police officers have been hospitalised and more than 218 people have been arrested after Melbourne’s violent anti-lockdown protest.
More than 4000 people converged on Melbourne’s CBD for the protest, with police claiming the majority of those attended came with “violence in mind”.
For the first time during lockdown protests, Victorian police were forced to use a range of “non-lethal” options including pepper ball rounds and OC foam cannisters in an effort to disperse the crowd.
“Seven police officers were injured, including two with suspected broken noses, one with a broken thumb and the others with concussions,” Victorian police said in a statement.
“One officer was also treated at the scene for a cut to his neck and didn’t require hospitalisation.”
All of the 218 people arrested will be fined $5452, which adds up to more than $1.2 million in fines.
There were also 236 fines issued and three people are in custody for allegedly assaulting police, the statement said, while one person was arrested for allegedly breaching their bail conditions.
“Further investigations will be conducted into offences commited during the protest including the assault of numerous police officers and the use of flares,” the police said.
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Thousands of anti lockdown protestors have marched through Melbourne streets, with chaotic scenes as violent clashes break out with police.
Shocking footage showed a police office being surrounded by protestors and knocked to the ground, while a colleague rushes to their aid.
There were reports projecticles were thrown at police officers including rocks, bottles and flares, while protestors were filmed screaming at cops saying “shame on you, shame on the lot of you.”
In this video, you can see a police officer knocked to the ground at today’s protest in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/HLBpcJwRB9
— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) August 21, 2021
The riot squad were forced to shoot rounds of tear gas canisters at protestors after they descended on Queen Victoria Market.
Earlier in the day, dozens of police officers were seen pepper spraying and tackling demonstrators in Melbourne, while protestors have also breached police line – storming through to run down the street.
Police horses were startled as a line of protesters ran with their arms linked towards the police before they broke through the line.
There have also been flares set off as the crowd chants “freedom”.
Video sent to me, showing pandemonium outside Parliament House earlier this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/AEAXUwZjZm
— Paul Dowsley (@paul_dowsley) August 21, 2021
The chaotic scenes have seen some protestors arrested, while others stopped marching to tend to pepper spray burns with some tipping whole bottles of milk on to their face.
Dr Stephen Parnis, a Melbourne emergency doctor, said injuries from the protests are being treated in already overworked, stressed emergency departments that are struggling with Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreaks and staff in isolation.
“They will all receive good care, as long as we have the resources to provide it,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We’ll provide care. We always do. But I’m disgusted with the few who assume we’ll always be able to pick up the pieces, while they do everything in their power to make a bad situation worse. #Covid19Vic Health services are a precious, finite resource. Please protect them.”
In Sydney, more than 260 fines were issued to anti-lockdown protestors, NSW police minister David Elliott revealed.
There were also 38,000 cars stopped at 14 checkpoints as part of the police operation, with 130 tickets issued to motorists, he said.
He said the lockdown was not a restriction of freedom of speech but a temporary restriction on freedom of movement.
Forty seven people were charged in relation to Saturday’s attempted protest in Sydney, with an estimated 250 people attending the protests.
One officer was injured as he was allegedly dragged on to the road by a protestor, revealed Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.
The male constable was taken to hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries to his neck and head.
A 32-year-old man from Five Dock man was arrested after allegedly assaulting the police officer at Mountain Street, Ultimo, about 12.30pm.
Mr Lanyon said it was “deplorable” that people 250 people chose to come into the CBD to protest, despite warnings and the current case numbers, adding that it wasn’t about “stopping free speech” but has always been about “stopping Covid”.
“During the state-wide operation, nearly 50 people were arrested and as investigations continue, we expect to identify more people through CCTV and social media footage,” he said.
Mr Elliott added he was disappointed that some people still ignored all warnings to stay at home and keep their loved ones safe.
“We saw the community backlash after the last protest and that was a genuine reflection of how they saw the actions of a small minority,” he said.
“That small minority has again chosen to blatantly ignore the very clear, repeated warnings of NSW Police, which is disappointing, frustrating and – frankly – disgraceful. The actions they have taken are likely to prolong the very lockdown they were protesting about.”
Saturday’s operation was backed up by more than 1500 police on the streets, but Mr Elliott warned that police would be out in force on Sunday too for anyone thinking of attempting “protest 2.1”.
Back in Melboune, around 700 police officers were deployed to try and stop the protestors, with a police barricade set up outside of Melbourne’s parliament house.
Dozens of mounted police were stationed at the entrance to Flinders St Station as protesters egged each other on to march through them and objects were thrown at police.
Earlier, a group of protestors converged at the intersection of Elizabeth and Little Bourke streets in the city's centre.
They congregated in the space of 10 seconds, after loud shouts rang out, reported the Herald Sun.
The crowd has been chanting: “Sack Dan Andrews”, while others are carrying signs that read “vaccines kill” and “open schools and parks now”.
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Police helicopters were also hovering over the crowd.
One protester, 30-year-old Chantelle Jurcic, said she was sick of lockdowns so joined the march.
“I came because I’m sick of this, I came because I can’t work,” she told The Age.
“I started a business in February. I then had to get another job because my business turned to sh-t. I’m done with lies, I’m done with the manipulation, I’m done with the fear mongering.”
The Melbourne “Freedom Rally ” protest began at midday, with footage showing a majority of the protestors were not wearing masks.
Members of the group were beating a gong and cheering, while others held signs criticising the health measures, including “say no to the vaccine” while another read “no health advice, no compliance”.
Protestors were also seen shouting at people waiting in line for Covid-19 tests, chanting “sheep, sheep, sheep” at them. But the people lining up hit back, responding with lines like “get lost you loser”.
A resident also threw water over protestors from his high rise apartment 10 floors up and was met with boos from the crowd.
Police have been forced to use pepper spray to block protesters after a heated clash. @theheraldsunpic.twitter.com/a2cTnrh0TA
— Suzan Delibasic (@suzandelibasic) August 21, 2021
And protestors just breached the police line #Melbourne#Covidiots#Covid19Aus#Auspolpic.twitter.com/veXquSWqzh
— techAU (Jason Cartwright) (@techAU) August 21, 2021
Michael McCormack, the federal MP for Riverina, described the protests as “absolutely appalling and unAustralian”.
Those imbeciles who have risked lives & livelihoods at the #Sydneyprotest & #Melbourneprotest deserve to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he furiously tweeted.
“You are stopping us being able to get out of COVID lockdown with your stupid, selfish acts.”
Thanks to the selfish actions #protesters today in #Melbourne I’ve been informed that many individuals in crisis in this city did not collect food distributed by the #HumbleMission.They were either too scared to come to the city/found it too intimidating
— Lucie Morris-Marr (@luciemorrismarr) August 21, 2021
Around 1500 anti-lockdown protestors gathered in Brisbane’s CBD meeting in the Botanic Gardens before marching from Parliament House to the city.
The group also held a number of signs which read: “end the lockdowns, open borders” and “Don’t believe the Covid-19 hoax pandemic”.
A banner was being flown by a plane above Brisbane with the words “LOCKDOWN INSANITY = CHILD ABUSE”.
Some also attacked waiting media crews yelling things like “fake news” and “propoganda” at them.
A spokesperson addressed the crowd and instructed attendees not to speak to media.
Police were patrolling the Brisbane crowd. No new cases record were in the community for Queensland on Saturday.
As part of nationwide protests against the government response to Covid-19, there were also 100 people who gathered in Darwin.
Meanwhile in Sydney, the first anti-lockdown protestors were arrested, but the police presence stifled any attempts at a wider protest.
One police officer was injured as a large crowd gathered.
Earlier in the day, footage showed a man and a woman in handcuffs sitting on the curb as police watched over them.
More than 40 arrests thus far, more than 100s PINS issued to Sydney protesters who gathered in the CBD. Road blocks remain in place with tens of 1000s of cars checked. Those numbers are expected to rise @7NewsSydneypic.twitter.com/slRqWmcpJM
— Laura Banks (@laurakatebanks) August 21, 2021
Sydney protest underway. pic.twitter.com/XIa1vJixDw
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) August 21, 2021
Another woman was seen being led down the street flanked by two police officers.
At 3pm, NSW police announced taxi, rideshare and passenger services have resumed regular operations after a prohibition on carrying passengers into the Sydney CBD was lifted this afternoon.
“A high-visibility policing operation remains in place across Sydney,” they added in a statement on Twitter.
Thousands of police officers were poised to block anti-lockdown protests across Australia today as Sydney entered its first weekend of tightened restrictions, and Melbourne saw another surge in case numbers.
Melbourne’s chief police commissioner Shane Patton said police had issued around 70 infringements in the last 24 hours alone, including curfew breaches.
Six infringements had already been issued to people in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday morning.
In central Sydney, those planning on attending a planned anti-lockdown ‘freedom rally’ from midday will be met with a ‘zero tolerance’ force of 1400 ready to dish out fines and make arrests for breach of public health orders.
It comes as online groups attempt to hatch plans to evade police and descend upon the city to fight for eased restrictions amid the spread of the deadly delta strain.
A large contingent of officers will be stationed across the city’s major roads to intercept people on their way to the protest, as key organisers in online groups share plots to evade police and continue with the illegal gathering.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports one admin of a 2500-member anti-vax group on encrypted app Telegram saying: “The police will clamp down harder this time, but that is fine because we will still heavily outnumber them and have many brave warriors on our side ready to stand up and Fight for Freedom.”
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he was aware of techniques being discussed and has strategies in place to respond.
Police have also issued a number of public safety orders against key “agitators” to restrict their ability to participate.
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The noon protest has been organised by groups of conspiracy theorists as part of a “nationwide rally for freedom, peace and human rights”. It is the same group behind a July major protest which resulted in 350 fines and 60 people charged, as well as shocking footage and imagery of wild unrest on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney.
Organisers have planned the gatherings across Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns and Townsville.
RELATED: Disgusting tactic of lockdown protesters
Police Minister David Elliott said officers were ready to impose strong penalties to anyone caught participating, urging people to instead express their views online rather than risk infection in the community.
“Anybody who attends the protest tomorrow is going to be facing the full force of the NSW Police Force. You’ll also be endangering the lives of your loved ones and of course prolonging this lockdown,” Mr Elliott said.
“If you’re in a non-hotspot LGA, the last thing you want is people coming to this rally tomorrow and taking back to your LGA the same level of infection that we’ve got tragically in the 12 that are considered hot spots right now,” he said.
In a bid to further quash any potential freedom protests today, NSW Police have once again prohibited taxi, rideshare and passenger services from transporting passengers to the Sydney CBD between 9am and 3pm today.
Authorities are particularly concerned protesters will be motivated by the NSW government’s introduction of new restrictions on Friday.
Stay-at-home orders now remain in place across the city until the end of September and residents in virus hot spots will also be subject to a night-time curfew and limited to one hour of outdoor exercise a day.
Meanwhile, Victoria has reported 61 new cases of Covid-19 overnight.
Of those, 22 were in isolation for the duration of their infectious period and 48 are linked to known outbreaks.
In addition to the new cases, there are an additional 16 local cases recorded on a rapid PCR testing platform and will be reported in tomorrow‘s numbers, Victoria’s Department of Health announced.
With the likely announcement of further restrictions today, police are expecting a high volume of protesters.
“There will be a highly visible police presence in the Melbourne CBD, on the roads and across the public transport network on Saturday, to ensure the community is complying with the chief health officer directions,” Victoria Police Sergeant Megan Stefanec said.
“Those who choose to blatantly disregard the CHO‘s directions and put the health and safety of all Victorians in jeopardy can expect to be held accountable.”
Attending an unlawful protest in Victoria can attract a $5452 fine.
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