Police have broken up almost 70 mini-protests against COVID-19 lockdowns across NSW and arrested 135 people.
The 69 protests on Tuesday occurred both in Sydney and regionally, and were focused primarily on local council buildings. Small protests took place at NSW Parliament House and Government House.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters on Tuesday that 135 people were arrested and 436 fines dished out.
More arrests may soon be recorded, Mr Lanyon said.
Most protests were made up of a handful of people and Mr Lanyon said Tuesday’s protest organisers were different to those who oversaw a large-scale demonstration last month in the Sydney CBD.
Several police officers suffered minor injuries.
The protests were held across eastern, western and inner west Sydney as well as multiple regional locations including Bathurst and Orange.
Separate attempts to arrange a truck blockade failed to eventuate.
“We’ve made it very clear in previous weeks the police are not opposed to free speech, but we are opposed to activity that breaches the public health order and puts the community in danger,” Mr Lanyon said.
NSW Police Western Region Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie said protesters were “disregarding the safety of their communities”.
“I don’t think it’s a sign that we’re losing the community as such. These people would be protesting, any day of the week, on any number of issues. It’s just so irresponsible,” Mr McKechnie told reporters.
Police warned that protests may ultimately serve as COVID-19 “super-spreading events”, prolonging the lockdown they seek to cease.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Tuesday also encouraged NSW residents to seek information on COVID-19 from reputable sources such as medical professionals or scientific journals.
Protests were also recorded across other Australian states, such as South Australia, ACT and Queensland, as well as in New Zealand.
AAP
Read more:
