More than 250 people who were protesting coronavirus lockdowns in Australia were arrested today and many faced fines for defying health orders, authorities said.
At least seven police officers were treated for injuries after skirmishes broke out at some of the protests, which took place in multiple cities nationwide. The largest and most violent protest was in Melbourne. Many were organized by people in encrypted online chat groups.
Sydney has been in lockdown for two months, while Melbourne and the capital, Canberra, went into lockdown earlier this month. Under the rules of the lockdown, people are mostly confined to their homes and have limits placed on their social interactions.
Protestors say the lockdowns should end, but authorities say they are necessary to suppress the spread of the virus and save lives.
In Melbourne, a crowd of about 4,000 mostly unmasked protesters let off flares, yelled and blasted music in the central city. Victoria state police arrested 218 people and issued more than 200 fines, each for more than 5,400 Australian dollars ($3,850).
In New South Wales state, police said they arrested 47 people and fined more than 260 in relation to protests across the state. They also issued 137 tickets after stopping around 38,000 cars that were approaching the city.
But no matter which stance you support a heartbreaking video that surfaced this morning will make your blood boil!
In the video, a disabled woman was arrested but also brutally attacked by the police! The video which was filmed in western Sydney shows several police officers tackling a woman to the ground as she repeatedly screams: ‘I do not consent’.
‘I have a disability, I do not consent, I do not consent,’ the woman repeatedly shouts as a man films the confronting incident, yelling at officers to ‘be gentle’.
‘Be careful, she’s not resisting, c’mon,’ the man filming says as the woman yells in the background.
The policeman arresting the woman tells the man filming to put on his mask, before he replies: ‘I have, you need to show respect.’
There are about 12 officers at the scene by the end of the clip as the woman continues to repeat the same sentences about consent and leaving her alone as they take her away.
‘They’re clearly concerned about stopping the spread,’ the video is captioned as the man scans the dozen police in attendance.
Video below:
Australian police tackle and then haul off a disabled woman. For her health, apparently. pic.twitter.com/SLeIEymMd3
— Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com (@stillgray) September 1, 2021
The woman, in blue jeans and a black shirt, repeatedly screams she has a disability and doesn’t ‘consent’ to being arrested, which is believed to be a phrase encouraged among lockdown protesters.
OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author’s opinion
