Coronavirus: Melbourne refugee rally to go ahead despite fines

Protests against the detention of refugees will go ahead in Melbourne on Saturday despite three organisers being fined over the BLM rally.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos. Picture: AAP

Protests against the detention of refugees will go ahead in Melbourne on Saturday despite three organisers being fined over the Black Lives Matter rally and one protester testing positive to COVID-19.

The Refugee Action Coalition plans to have groups of 20 people at eight locations across Melbourne, including outside the Mantra Bell City Hotel in Preston, where medivac detainees are held, and the offices of Immigration Minister Alan Tudge.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said it was “incredibly inherently risky” for thousands of people to come ­together and the government had made that clear before the Black Lives Matter protest. She said while most protesters wore face masks, it didn’t mitigate the risk of infection.

Ms Mikakos said the RAC’s plans to break up the protesters into smaller groups was a more ­responsible way forward, but was still critical of the public action.

“It’s incredibly irresponsible to be having a protest at this time,” she said. “There’s still a pandemic in place … there are many ways to make your political views known.”

The Victorian government has not released the name of the male protester who attended the Black Lives Matter protest last weekend and was later found to have COVID-19, claiming it would discourage people from coming forward to be tested.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen said the man, in his 30s, was with a group of friends who have been contacted, as have his other close contacts, however he did not have the COVIDSafe app.

“It would have been useful and certainly we remain encouraging of people to download the app,” she said.

RAC organiser Chris Breen said the group had changed plans to centre the protest on the hotel and the MITA detention centre because police had threatened them with fines.

It came after three of the ­organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest were issued $1652 ­infringement notices for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s ­directives.

“As part of the post-event ­investigation, police considered a range of factors in relation to further enforcement activity but we have ultimately determined this to be the appropriate outcome,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. “No further fines will be ­issued by Victoria Police in relation to this protest.”

Mr Breen said protests were being treated differently from other gatherings, including restaurants which were allowed to rotate people in and out for different sittings.

“We think it’s politically biased,” he said. “I would say to Jenny Mikakos that we are within health regulations. Why are you singling out protests?”

He said protests in person had more of an impact than online ­petitions.

“We would call on Jenny ­Mikakos to clarify what protest is allowed,” Mr Breen said.

Sixty-five asylum-seekers are in the Preston hotel and a further 46 at the MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows.