AUSTRALIA’S brutal lockdown has seen protesters covered in pepper spray and pinned down to the ground in clashes with cops.
On Saturday, more than 1,000 protestors marched through central Melbourne against lockdown. They were met by hundreds of anti-riot police.
6
6
6
Australia is imposing one of the world’s strictest lockdowns- despite the extremely low infection cases.
Melbourne, which has been in lockdown for 228 days since March 2020, is poised to surpass Buenos Aires’ grim record for longest time under stay-at home rules.
32 were taken into custody in Sydney and 256 penalties were issued. Thousands of police officers gathered around the city.
In Brisbane and Perth, thousands more protested.
However, protests quickly became violent as demonstrators began throwing bottles, stones and other objects towards police.
Commander Mark Galliott said “angry and aggressive young males” began throwing objects at cops, injuring 10 officers, six of which were rushed to hospital with serious injuries, including torn muscles, a broken elbow, nose and finger.
There were 235 arrests in Melbourne. 193 of these people were linked to Covid restrictions.
Their overall operation involved more than 2,000 officers.
Around 12:30 p.m. local time, crowds started to form and then they sat down on a roadside bench after being surrounded with pepper spray and officers.
One Twitter video showed an officer being hit in his face with a bottle. He had sprayed the crowd.
One protester is seen shouting “no one has died from Covid” while another yelled at police to “take off your badge and stand with us”.
The protesters marched through the streets trying to evade police, but were stopped at a highway.
The police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and protestors responded with projectiles.
People fleeing police were also pushed back by officers.
The protesters then broke through the police line and charged directly at them.
One officer was apparently trampled while another was thrown to ground.
The rally occurs as Melbourne eases certain measures that apply to double-jabbed individuals.
LET THEM GRIEVE
It comes as anger mounts over Australia’s brutal lockdown rules that, in once instance, saw police prevent mourners from watching funerals from their cars.
New South Wales police turned down grieving families trying to get a glimpse at their loved ones funerals by parking up at Rookwood Cemetery.
The current Covid rules allow only ten people to attend a funeral.
Devastated mourners told theGuardianthat three families gathered at the cemetery, wearing face masks and practising social distancing to watch the funerals from their cars.
According to them, ten police officers suddenly appeared and knocked on their cars windows.
Tensions escalated as furious relatives claimed that if they couldn’t fulfill Muslim funeral traditions, they would at least want to see the burials.
But cops insisted there were a “large number of attendees breaching current public health orders.”
Four men were arrested during the incident.
NOWHERE TO CO
The lockdown has become so brutal it drove Darko Desic, 64 – an escaped convict on the run for 30 years – to hand himself over to police after deciding life was better on the inside.
Desic was just 13 months into his three-and-a half year sentence. He sawed through the bars of his cell and fled in the middle night of 1992.
But on Sunday morning, he walked into a police station in Sydney and told baffled cops he wanted to go back to prison – because Australia’s draconian lockdown had left him homeless.
Cops have begun to seize beers left behind by those who are stuck inside.
Residents living on the Common Ground housing estate complained that packages containing booze were being searched before they were delivered.
One resident, an artist with the Twitter handle Ms Saffaa, said: “Hey NSW Police, Common Ground residents are wondering what happened to the alcohol and tobacco items dropped off to them last night?
“And under which powers are you allowed to confiscate them? These are legal to eat in this country, according to the last time I checked.
“A member of our community has delivered multiple hampers of fresh food, alcohol, and cigarettes, however the alcohol and some cigarette packs have been removed.
“NSW police are systematically searching our package, mail, and our belongings and now we have items missing.”
Another resident, Robin Elhaj, said: “They are searching all bags and things coming into the building. They confiscated a series of gifts.”
Residents are allowed to receive a ration of one of the following – six beers or pre-mixed drinks, one bottle of wine, or one 375ml bottle of spirits,news.com.au reports.
6
6
6
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story to submit for the Central Recorder news desk