Coronavirus: Police warn against Sydney Black Lives Matter protest

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says a Sydney BLM protest could set NSW’s economic recovery back by a decade.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has revealed that a Black Lives Matter protest being planned for Sydney could set the state’s economic recovery back by a decade if it sparks fresh outbreaks.

Commissioner Fuller warned protesters not to be “selfish” and argued it would devastate anyone’s political cause if their protest ended up being responsible for the next coronavirus outbreak.

“It is not a time to be selfish, there are many ways you can protest, there are many ways you can go online, in forums or even through the media you can get your voice,” he told Sky News.

Commissioner Fuller said it would be “devastating” to anyone’s cause to be responsible for the next cluster breakout in NSW.

“Do you want your protest to be the one that puts NSW back five or 10 years economically because that’s exactly what could happen and that’s exactly what we saw in Victoria.”

Commissioner Fuller also revealed his officers would issue fines to protesters breaching health rules even if he loses the Supreme Court bid to ban the upcoming protest on Tuesday, July, 28.

“We will take that matter to the Supreme Court and win, lose or draw we can still take action against people for breaching health orders and if a thousand people turn up maybe I can only write tickets for 500 people but do you want to be the first person to get the $1000 ticket, that’s the question,” he said.

“We will then use the health orders to fine people for breaching the laws put in place to protect all the people of NSW.”

4000 express interest in protest

Earlier, Commissioner Fuller urged people not to attend a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney planned for next week, as the state’s coronavirus numbers continue to climb.

More than 4,000 people have expressed their interest in attending the event on Facebook.

Commissioner Fuller said protest organisers have lodged a formal application, but NSW Police will be taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

“Relying on some pretty good intelligence from Victoria, we know how dangerous these protests can be, in terms of health,” he told 2GB radio on Monday morning.

“At the moment, you just can’t take chances.”

Commissioner Fuller said the police would be able to fine people under the current health orders.

“If the numbers get above what is lawful at that time, then we can start writing tickets. That is the instruction I’ll be giving to police in relation to that matter.”

NSW has been reporting its highest daily coronavirus numbers in two months in recent days, today reporting 20 new cases of COVID-19.

Yesterday 18 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the state.