Sat 05 September 2020:
More than 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters have descended on Melbourne and clashed with police officers in wild scenes as the ‘Freedom Day’ rally threatens to spiral out of control.
Shocking footage shows the horde of protesters, many refusing to wear masks and battling with police, as the city’s CBD was brought to a standstill as traffic was diverted from the area.
Dramatic scenes saw demonstrators tackled to the ground while officers struggled to detain them.
#BREAKING: I was violently ARRESTED today while covering the lockdown protest in Melbourne for @RebelNewsOnline.
It seems like JOURNALISTS aren’t even safe anymore in Victoria.
Full story coming exclusively to https://t.co/oJpSxefEvU
RT with the world what’s happening here. pic.twitter.com/0Y1mnU0OPq
— Avi Yemini ???? (@OzraeliAvi) September 5, 2020
Hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police by Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday, with demonstrators chanting ‘scam’ and gathering in defiance of health advice. pic.twitter.com/F6wi4Kvv4G
— SBS News (@SBSNews) September 5, 2020
The Melbourne restrictions, including a night curfew, were put in place in an attempt to reduce a huge spike in infections and deaths.
Police earlier urged people to adhere to restrictions on community movement. But four men were arrested and charged with incitement over the so-called “Freedom Day” protests planned for several Melbourne locations.
Police, many of them on horseback, later made a number of arrests among protesters, some of them for not wearing masks. Victoria reported 11 more deaths and 76 new infections.
