Coronavirus Australia: Melbourne protesters’ ploy to avoid police

Police are bracing for more anti-lockdown protests to hit Melbourne today – but the protesters are doing their best to avoid law enforcement.

Police in Victoria are bracing for more anti-lockdown protests to hit Melbourne today – but the protesters are doing their best to avoid law enforcement.

The exact details of the rallies remain a mystery this morning, and that is by design.

The locations are set to be announced just half an hour before the protests begin, with participants hoping the tactic will let them outwit police.

And organisers are telling people to stay within 10 minutes of the Melbourne CBD in the lead-up, so they can “flood” the location as quickly as possible once it is revealed.

The Herald Sun reports about 700 people have signed up to one encrypted message group, whose organisers claim they have “scouts” watching police movements and even some officers feeding them information from the inside.

They have boasted today’s protests will be the biggest yet.

It’s the third consecutive weekend of anti-lockdown demonstrations in the Victorian capital, with police arresting 16 people and issuing 21 fines for those who gathered in Elsternwick Park yesterday.

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The anti-lockdown protesters were chased out of the inner-city park by mounted police and others on foot and fled towards Elwood.

Some could be seen in footage from the scene scrambling across the road as police cars pulled up and officers jumped out of their vehicles.

Police detain an anti-lockdown protester in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick. Picture: William West/AFP

Another protester being arrested, this time at St Kilda beach. Picture: Daniel Pockett/NCA NewsWire

Victoria Police said the majority of the arrests were for breaching directions and refusing to provide a name and address.

“We are frustrated that these people continue to put the lives of Victorians at risk,” police said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.

“Police are playing an important role by enforcing the directions of the Chief Health Officer so we can limit the spread of coronavirus.

“While we know the majority of the community are doing the right thing, the behaviour of these selfish few who choose to blatantly ignore the directions will not be tolerated.

“We will continue to take the same swift and firm action against those who choose to blatantly ignore the directions, and our investigations will continue.”

Individuals who fail to adhere to COVID-19 directives in Victoria face a $1652 fine.

Police this week revealed Melburnians who try to sneak out of metropolitan Melbourne into regional Victoria – where stay-at-home restrictions have now been eased – will face a $4957 fine.