Af least fifteen people have been arrested at the anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne on Saturday, including one person who was charged with allegedly assaulting a police officer.
“14 of the arrests were for breaching the Chief Health Officer directions, while one was for assaulting police,” Victoria Police said in a statement on Saturday.
In total, we arrested 15 people and issued over 150 infringement notices for breaching the Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions. 14 of the arrests were for breaching the CHO directions, while one was for assaulting police. 2/4
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) September 5, 2020
“As a result of the protest, a police officer received lacerations to the head after being assaulted by an individual who was in attendance.”
In addition to the fifteen arrests, a further 150 were handed infringement notices for breaching the directions of the Victorian Chief Health Officer.
According to 7News, approximately 200 people attended the protest at the Shrine of Remembrance before marching to Albert Park.
“Activists” were allegedly protesting the lockdown restrictions, mask requirements, 5G, vaccines and “child trafficking and pedophilia”, according to The Guardian.
“There’s no epidemic — it’s just a pretext to keep us in lockdown,” one woman told the ABC.
Meanwhile, another man chose to exercise his right to freedom by jumping in the Albert Park Lake, allegedly trying to evade police.
Genuinely no expert but I don’t think freedom will be found in Albert Park Lake. Lots of shopping trolleys and water rats, yes. Freedom…not so much. https://t.co/TGvBCIYVnY
— Kirsty Webeck 🦈 (@KirstyWebeck) September 5, 2020
For generations the people of Melbourne have hurled themselves into Albert Park Lake to symbolise their right to spread contagious and dangerous viruses. By contracting a range of diseases from the rancid water the commitment to freedom is expressed, a most excellent tradition.
— Kent Parkstreet, Laird of Doofus (@kentparktweet) September 5, 2020
Despite Melbourne being the only city under the so called “draconian” measures, similar protests occurred in Sydney, Byron Bay and even New Zealand.
Ironically, the fact that the protesters were able to defy the directions of the CHO and publicly criticise Premier Dan Andrews without fearing for their safety kinda disproves the whole “Dictator Dan” rhetoric, but it didn’t stop them from shouting for their right to “freedom.”
The protests come just one day before Dan Andrews is expected to announce his plan for a roadmap out of this coronavirus lockdown, but it is unclear if or how today’s protest will impact the plan.
