Police charge two people following lockdown protest in Sydney’s southwest

Police forced to break up a protest in Sydney’s southwest as anger rises over residents being ‘left to pay the price for Bondi’.

Two people have been charged following a protest against additional lockdown measures in Sydney’s southwest.

A large group of people gathered at Paul Keating Park in Bankstown just after 4pm on Saturday, as tensions grew in the Covid-19-riddled region.

Police handed out fines to people who allegedly refused to leave, and arrested a man and a woman.

7 News reported about 100 people attended the event, with footage from the scene showing many wore masks while congregating at the park.

People protesting the strict lockdown measures in Sydney's southwest at Paul Keating Park, Bankstown on July 17, 2021. Picture: 7 News

Officers leading away a man from the park. Picture: 7 News

The man, 57, was charged with failing to comply with a public health order, not complying with directions given by police, and having custody of a knife in public.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.

The woman, 36, was charged with failing to comply with a public health order and granted conditional bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on September 2.

In further action, eight people – six males aged 29, 19, 55, 24, 17 and 35, and two women, aged 24 and 26 – were issued penalty notices after they allegedly refused to leave the area.

The 24-year-old man was also charged with drug possession, while the 35-year-old man received infringements for offensive behaviour and offensive language.

There has been a strong police presence in southwest Sydney during the city’s lockdown. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It came after the NSW Government announced on Saturday that people living in the local government areas of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool would be confined to their suburbs from midnight.

Only health care and emergency services workers will be exempt from the rules, in a move aimed to stop the concerning spread of Covid-19 in the city’s southwest.

Labor’s federal member for McMahon in south west Sydney said his constituents were paying a heavy price for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to not lock down Bondi earlier as Covid-19 cases across his electorate surge.

Chris Bowen told Sky News on Sunday the community was angry that Scott Morrison and the NSW government did not act sooner and had provided confusing directions on testing and vaccinations. More than 80 of the state’s 111 new cases yesterday were detected in Sydney’s south west.

“There’ll be anger that Scott Morrison didn’t lock down earlier, if this virus had been crushed when it was in Bondi then the people of Fairfield wouldn’t be paying the price now,” he said. “There’s anger that people can’t get vaccinated, I want to get vaccinated.

“We see silly ads on the TV telling us to arm ourselves, but we can’t get a vaccine booking .. and there’s real concern about the economy. This is a massive shutdown.”

Mr Bowen called on the Prime Minister to reinstate JobKeeper, declaring the current Covid-19 disaster payments would not “cut the mustard” for families in the face of a protracted lockdown.

“He (Mr Morrison) causes problems with a lack of good quarantine, he should at the very least step in with a very similar economic support package that people had in last year’s lockdown.”

- With Olivia Caisley