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Anti-lockdown rallies turn violent as police clash with protesters in Australia

Violence broke out in Australia as anti-lockdown protestors clashed with police during a series of so-called ‘Freedom rallies.’

Thousands of officers were deployed to disperse around 1,000 demonstrators in Melbourne who had pledged to defy the city’s stay-at-home orders.

Stones, traffic cones and bottles were hurled at officers who used pepper spray and batons against the mostly unmasked crowds.

Footage from the scuffles in Richmond and Hawthorn suburbs, in the country’s second largest city, showed police descending on the angry mob, who let off flares and blocked main roads carrying placards that read ‘FREEDOM’.

Victoria police arrested 235 protesters and three officers remained in hospital, while in Sydney 32 arrests were made and 265 fines handed out.

It comes as 1,882 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths were recorded in Australia in the latest 24-hour period.

Victoria police fire pepper spray during a clash with protesters at a Rally for Freedom in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. The protesters were demonstrating against the latest COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Victoria police fire pepper spray during a clash with protesters at a Rally for Freedom in Melbourne (Picture: AP)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 18: A man arrested is seen with blood over his face is surrounded by police on September 18, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Anti-lockdown protesters gathered despite current COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting large outdoor gatherings. Metropolitan Melbourne is currently subject to lockdown restrictions as health authorities work to contain the spread of the highly contagious Delta COVID-19 variant, with people only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons. Victorian COVID-19 restrictions have been eased from today in Metropolitan Melbourne to allow outdoor picnics and small exercise groups, while the permitted travel distance from home has extended to 10km. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
A man with blood over his face is surrounded by police in Melbourne (Picture: Getty Images AsiaPac)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Mikko Robles/Speed Media/REX/Shutterstock (12450135ai) A demonstrator is seen being aided with milk and water after getting capsicum sprayed during the Freedom protest on September 18, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Freedom protests are part of an international co-ordinated protest movement targeting governments COVID-19 restrictions, vaccination, and public health efforts. Melbourne Freedom Rally, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia - 18 Sep 2021
A demonstrator is seen being aided with milk and water after getting sprayed during the Freedom protest (Picture: Speed Media/REX/Shutterstock)
Police arrest a protester during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne on September 18, 2021. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
Police arrest a protester during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne (Picture: AFP)
epa09474381 Protesters gather during 'The Worldwide Rally for Freedom' in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 September 2021. The Worldwide Rally for Freedom is a purported day of rallies for 'freedom' across many countries, which is also labelled 'World Wide Demonstration 4.0'. EPA/JAMES ROSS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
Protesters gather during ‘The Worldwide Rally for Freedom’ in Melbourne (Picture: EPA)

Melbourne has spent 228 days in lockdown since March last year, while residents of Sydney have been under stay-at-home orders since late June after a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant.

The protests are part of an international co-ordinated movement targeting governments’ lockdown restrictions, vaccinations, and public health efforts.

Many have blasted them as ‘an insult’ to healthcare staff on the frontline of the Delta outbreak, and those working to vaccinate the population.

Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of a refugee non-profit in Australia, said: ‘My love and respect goes out to all the doctors, nurses, health care workers working around the clock in our emergency and ICU departments in Melbourne to save lives of people with Covid-19. What an insult to them all today’s protests are.’

Public transport in Melbourne was also suspended for six hours on Saturday as part of the large-scale police operation to stop the protest against the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

The partial shutdown was made at the request of police after 4,000 people took part in a violent anti-lockdown rally on August 21.

The Victoria police commissioner, Shane Patton, said on Wednesday: ‘We have no problem with facilitating protest when there’s a place in time for that to occur.

‘This weekend is not the place and time for that to occur.

‘It is really interesting that this whole cohort of people who are about freedom do not seem to respect the freedoms of others and anyone coming in here places those freedoms at risk.’

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