‘Prepare to be arrested’: NT Police make stern warning to anti-mandate troublemakers

Troublemakers at Saturday’s planned anti-vaccine mandate protest have been warned following violent clashes with police last weekend.

TROUBLEMAKERS at Saturday’s planned anti-vaccine mandate protest have been warned to “be prepared to be arrested” following violent clashes with police last weekend.

NT Police Commander Danny Bacon said on Friday “significant” resources would be deployed to prevent the protesters disrupting traffic or otherwise breaking the law.

“Everybody has a right to free speech and we respect that right, everyone has a right to protest but it’s about protesting lawfully,” he said.

“We respect people attending that protest and protesting lawfully (but) where they overstep the boundary it’s up to us to intervene and we have the resources there to do that.”

Cmdr Bacon said the protest organisers had been repeatedly told they needed to apply for a council permit to march on the road and had failed to do so.

He said police had previously turned a blind eye when protesters shut down Mitchell St last month but would not tolerate a similar disruption on Saturday.

“If you wish to protest then you may protest but in regard to walking down the roadway when you don’t have a licence, or a permit to do so, then we will be preventing that,” he said.

“We’ve been engaging with the event organisers for some time in regard to making sure they apply for the appropriate permits to lawfully march with a permit (and) they’ve failed to obtain a permit or apply for permit so there’s no lawful purpose for them to be marching down the roadway.

“We will not tolerate bad behaviour at all, so if you choose to behave badly then be prepared to be arrested.”

A dozen people are facing charges stemming from last weekend’s protest amid the Darwin lockout and Cmdr Bacon said more would likely follow in the coming days.