Sydney lockdown protester denies police horse punch allegations

One of two men who allegedly punched a police horse during Sydney’s lockdown protests has denied the allegations.

One of the two men accused of punching a police horse during Sydney’s anti-lockdown protest on Saturday has denied the allegation while the other will remain in jail.

NSW police have launched a massive operation to identify and track down more than 3500 protesters who took to the CBD on Saturday and clashed with officers in defiance of public health orders.

Two men were on Sunday charged with animal cruelty offences for allegedly punching a police horse during the rally.

One of the men charged was captured in a picture wearing a yellow singlet with “free speech” printed on the front and his closed fist making contact with a police horse’s mouth.

Kristian Pulkownik did not apply for bail when he appeared in court on Sunday. Picture: Steven Saphore/AFP.

Kristian Pulkownik, 33, was arrested after police tracked him down at a home on Marlborough Street in Surry Hills at 11.20pm on Saturday night.

He was charged with affray, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and breaching a Covid-19 restriction.

He briefly appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday where he represented himself and did not apply for bail before he appears in court again next month.

Remon Korkise has denied allegations that he assaulted a police officer and punched a police horse during a lockdown protest. Picture: Facebook.

A second man, Remon Korkise, 36, was granted bail after he denied allegations that he had punched a police horse during a separate incident during the protests.

Parramatta Bail Court heard that he would plead not guilty after being charged with assaulting an officer, animal cruelty and breaching health orders.

The court was told that he had lost work as a photographer due to the pandemic and attended the protests out of “frustration”.

Remon Korkise was granted bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.

His lawyer, Elias Tabschouri, played footage to the court which he said did not show him punching any animal.

He was granted bail by Magistrate Joanne Keogh on strict conditions including that he not leave his house without his parents.

“The vision showed how dynamic the situation was. There’s no criticism of police but it’s just the way the situation was,” Mr Tabschouri said.

Joseph Mekhael was arrested at Saturday’s anti-lockdown marches despite being in breach of strict bail conditions.

A total of 22 men charged with various offences appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday charged with attending the rally in breach of health regulations.

Prominent anti-lockdown protester Joseph Mekhael, 37, was granted bail despite the court hearing that he had breached bail conditions by attending Saturday’s rally.

He was arrested and charged in January for organising a similar rally before being granted liberty on strict conditions, which he breached by attending the anti-lockdown protest.

The court heard that he lived and cared for his father who suffered from Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

And Magistrate Beverley Schurr questioned why he was attending a rally, where he was mixing with thousands of other people and risking infection, thereby putting his father at risk.

His lawyer Mina Wassef said that he had been labouring under a “misguided delusion” but the penny had finally dropped that he was in the wrong to flout public health orders.

“He’s accepted his wrongdoing and while it’s taken 24 hours underground at Surry Hills Police Station to dawn on him, he’s accepted this is not the answer,” Mr Wassef said.

He was granted bail on strict conditions that amounted to home detention under which he must abide by a 24-hour curfew.

“Good job,” Mr Mekhael told the court, giving Ms Schurr a thumbs up as he was granted bail.

Nikola Dedovic was arrested during Saturday’s anti-lockdown marches. (Pictures by Julian Andrews).

The court heard that another man, Nikola Dedovic, travelled from Wollongong to join the protesters, despite not really believing in the cause, only to end up on the front page of The Daily Telegraph.

His lawyer Martin Zanolla said despite having no political affiliations or beliefs about the lockdowns or vaccines, the 20-year-old made the trip up the Princes Highway to Sydney,

Mr Zanolla told the court that he attended the protest because it sounded like a “bit of fun” however a picture of his arrest for breaches of the public health order ended up plastered on the front page of the newspaper.

“He’s the posterboy for the biggest idiot in Australia,” Mr Zanolla said.

He is alleged to have pushed a constable off a bike, however he claims to have no knowledge of the allegation and believe it’s a case of mistaken identity.

He was granted bail to appear in court later next month.