Premier Daniel Andrews blasts protesters as ‘selfish’ as hundreds fined for coronavirus breaches

Hundreds of people in Victoria have been slapped with fines for disobeying the state’s tough lockdown restrictions with the premier blasting them as “selfish”.

Freedom Day protest - Shrine of Remembrance. Anti Covid-19 / lockdown protesters rally at the Shrine of Remembrance. Protesters are restrained after an altercation with police. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Hundreds of people have been hit with fives for breaching Victoria’s coronavirus restrictions with the state’s premier labelling those at a weekend anti-lockdown rally “selfish”.

Up to 387 people were fined for breaching the directions including 36 for refusing to wear a face covering outside, 26 at vehicle checkpoints and 48 for breaching curfew, Victoria Police said on Sunday.

Of those 180 were fined at a protest on Saturday at the Shrine of Remembrance with 17 people arrested.

“It’s not safe to protest, it’s not smart to protest, it’s selfish to protest and what’s more it is unlawful,” Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday.

Anti-lockdown protesters rally at the Shrine of Remembrance. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The majority of people arrested at the rally were because they failing to provide identification, one person was arrested for assaulting an officer and another was over unrelated offending, Victoria Police said on Sunday.

Other law-breakers included a woman who was fined $1652 when she was nabbed in Werribee, more than 5km from her home, because she wanted to buy yoghurt.

She told police she preferred the shops in that suburb.

A man in handcuffs at the protest on Saturday. Picture: Daniel Pockett

A man was busted at Mitcham, 82 km away from where his vehicle was registered at Capel Sound. His excuse to police was that he was living at his fish and chip shop at Croydon and dropped a friend off at Box Hill.

Another set of rule breakers included a trio busted at St Albans visiting a friend, nearly 20km from their home at Diggers Rest.

In total police have conducted 3672 spot checks at homes, businesses and public places across the state in the past 24 hours.