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Furious chef lets loose after clash with vegan protestors

Celebrity chef John Mountain has doubled down on his vow to ban vegans from his restaurant in Perth, after he was targeted by angry vegan activists for the second time. The chef clashed with vegan protestor Tash Peterson on Saturday, after she stormed his booked-out restaurant with other activists in tow. Peterson and other activists stood outside with a megaphone, while shouting and playing sounds of squealing pigs, moments before the altercation was caught on camera. Speaking candidly on A Current Affair, Mountain said he planing his revenge to aggravate the protestors in retaliation. "You're barred for life and whenever I open any other business, now I'm going to start opening steak restaurants just to piss you off," John Mountain told ACA host Leila McKinnon about the activists who tried to storm his restaurant. When Peterson and her posse of protestors stormed his restaurant, called Fyre, on Saturday, Mountain said he'd had enough and confronted them. "I lost my cool because now it's really disrupting my business and I could see the look on my customers' faces, my staff — they were all a little scared and a bit nervous and I just stormed out," Mountain said. Police are investigating allegations of assault during the clash, after Peterson filed a report with attending officers. "We're not going after this restaurant because they're banning vegans — yes that was maybe a reason that instigated it — but at the end of the day it's because this man is profiting from animal abuse and murder and he's also glamourising it," she said on Sunday. Mountain defended his choice to retaliate against the protestors, saying he chose to stand up to the bullies to "protect my business". "Bullies come in all different shapes and sizes and these lot just happen to be the vegans." The chef became emotional while discussing the altercation, sharing how the war against vegans has greatly impacted his personal life. "I lost my partner because of this, I lost a relationship, I thought I was going to marry this woman and she just couldn't handle the amount of attention," he said while choking up with emotion. "Thanks vegans." The clash with protestors comes just weeks after Mountain posted on social media that vegans were now <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/f-k-vegans-top-chef-bans-vegans-from-restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> from his restaurant due to "mental health reasons", sparking outrage among activists and the vegan community. Image credits: A Current Affair / 9News

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"Not my King": Second coronation marred by protestors

King Charles has celebrated his coronation a second time during a ceremony in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, just two months after being crowned King in London. The monarch was joined by Queen Camilla, and Prince and Princess of Wales, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, for a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication held in his honour. During the service inside St Giles Cathedral, the monarch was presented with the symbols of his authority in Scotland – the Crown, the Sceptre and the Sword of State. The new Elizabeth Sword, named in honour of the late monarch, was commissioned to replace the previous Sword of State as it had become too fragile, having been given to James IV by Pope Julius in 1507. The sword was carried into the cathedral by Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger. Despite the grand and emotional service, the ceremony was slightly marred by anti-monarch protestors outside. The protestors stood chanting "not my King" for hours on end so loudly, that the voices could be heard from inside the church during the quieter moments of the ceremony. Four protestors were later arrested for their disruption. Prior to the ceremony, Grant McKenzie from the Republic anti-monarchy pressure group, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that his group would be vocal at the event. "It's being forced upon us," McKenzie said. "We've got an unprecedented cost of living crisis. I don't think the public in the UK are particularly interested in their tax payer money being put towards a parade up and down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - it's tone deaf. "Of course people are going to be able to enjoy it if that's what they want to do. Protests by their very nature are disruptive, we will be making ourselves visible and heard." The King and Queen didn't let the demonstrators get in the way of the proceedings, which was strengthened by the thousands of crowds who lined the streets of Edinburgh in support of the royal family. The tradition of a second coronation taking place in Scotland dates back over 400 years, with the late Queen Elizabeth also celebrating the event just weeks after her coronation in 1953. Image credits: Getty Images

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Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/effie-karageorgos-453765">Effie Karageorgos</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Recent sustained anti-coal action by Blockade Australia in the Hunter Valley has brought public protest back into the news cycle. Activists have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-21/coal-protests-block-rail-lines-to-newcastle-port/102504056">occupied trains, railway lines and machinery</a> in an attempt to obstruct coal production and broadcast their message about the climate crisis. Under recent <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/explainer-what-are-your-rights-to-protest-australia#:%7E:text=In%202022%2C%20Tasmania%20passed%20anti,%E2%80%9C%E2%80%A6">anti-protest legislation</a> in New South Wales, which has been matched by similar laws in other states, some protesters have been charged by police for their activism. Internationally, protesters faced with arrest have devised new ways to protest. Recently, Iranian activists have started engaging in “<a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/international-relations-security/civil-upheaval-iran-why-widespread">micro-protests</a>”, which are small-scale protests over a shorter period of time, to evade arrest. My historical research into the infrastructure of protest, using the anti-Vietnam War campaign in New South Wales as a case study, has found that many Australians who did not or could not actively or publicly protest similarly found “quieter” ways to express their opposition to the conflict. <h2>The youth are revolting</h2> In the popular Australian imagination, it seems the protester is a young person creating a public spectacle – holding up a sign, occupying a building or marching down a city street, even though older activists regularly play a part in protest movements. Many might think of figures like <a href="https://theconversation.com/lidia-thorpes-mardi-gras-disruption-is-the-latest-in-an-ongoing-debate-about-acceptable-forms-of-protest-at-pride-200713">Lidia Thorpe</a> disrupting the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade or ongoing protests by <a href="https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/">School Strike 4 Climate</a>, which have shown how willing young people are to agitate for their collective futures. But, in fact, one of the two anti-coal activists charged on last month for occupying a train in Singleton, New South Wales, is <a href="https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/news?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGMTA3MTc3Lmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D">64 years old</a>. My research shows our public memory of protest doesn’t come close to capturing everyone who used their energies to protest Australian involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, so we need to shift our idea of both protest and the protester to understand the potential scope of activism. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Thm03IUiJ6U?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Quiet protest</h2> Vietnam War-era protest organisations, such as the Association for International Cooperation and Disarmament, Save Our Sons, Youth Campaign Against Conscription and the Vietnam Moratorium Campaign, were aware of how important “quiet protest” was to the wider movement. They <a href="https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1JkmeexY">continually appealed to supporters</a> for help selling buttons, putting up posters, selling raffle tickets, filling envelopes, leafleting and other clerical work. These were all carried out by people who were opposed to the war, and are all considered acts of protest. Social movement theorists agree that time and availability are crucial in drawing people to protest. As far back as 1974, the sociologist <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002188637401000206">Anthony Orum</a> wrote: "Without people who have time on their hands, great revolutions would probably never get off the ground." <h2>Time and capacity</h2> But what of those who did not have the time or capacity to march on streets, but who still saw themselves as part of the anti-Vietnam War movement? The <a href="https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1l4dPbX1">administrative records</a> of protest organisations held in the <a href="https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/">State Library of New South Wales</a> let us into the lives of such people. These include Ian Robertson, a full-time Macquarie University student, whose parents had banned political activity because they feared it would disrupt his studies. Another silent protester was a Mrs Thomson, who was too busy organising her daughter Sue’s wedding to participate in anti-Vietnam protest activities. Public servants were also not permitted to publicly support the movement. Most such records come from elderly members of the movement. In November 1969, Mabel Wilson, who in her words was “six years an octogenarian,” sent $5 to the <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C96428">Committee in Defiance of the National Service Act</a>, writing: "I admire your courage and am completely in sympathy with your ideals. Alas! I am very old […] As you can see I can be of practically no use to you – or anyone […] My heart is with you all the way." Similarly, on March 21 1970, Doris J Wilson of Asquith sent a donation to the Northern Districts Vietnam Moratorium Group with a letter saying: "I am past the age where I can do very much more than be just a voice." On September 14 1970, L.T. Withers sent the same group a letter saying: "Congratulations for what you have accomplished. I feel rather guilty at being so useless […] myself and my wife are not as energetic as we used to be as the years are catching up on us a bit. I have enclosed a small donation to your local funds […] I would also be grateful if you could keep me informed of your activities." Ruth Fryer of Hornsby sent a letter on February 9 1971 with a $3 donation: "Sometimes you wish you were young & strong again! But the hard work seems to be left to the young ones." These Australians, among many others, were interested in the anti-Vietnam campaign and wanted to be involved as much as they could, given their limitations. <h2>The infrastructure of historical protest</h2> Studying the infrastructure of historical protest organisations shows us that we need to expand our idea of what a protest movement is and who it includes if we want to achieve the present-day goals of activist campaigning. These findings are exciting because they capture a larger group of Australians in the protest tradition, and move past a limited, and often ableist and ageist, vision of protest to incorporate many others who feel just as strongly about the issues governing their lives.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208472/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/effie-karageorgos-453765">Effie Karageorgos</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-a-youth-movement-history-too-often-forgets-older-protesters-208472">original article</a>.

Legal

George Pell's memorial hijacked by protestors

The memorial service for Cardinal George Pell has ended with calls to the police, after protestors clashed outside St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. Australia's highest ranking Catholic was honoured in a service on Wednesday, when Pell supporters approached child abuse activists who were peacefully tying ribbons to fences at the cathedral. Supporters of the previously convicted sex offender were reportedly shouting angrily at the silent protesters as evening prayer was wrapping up. In recent days, a support group for clergy abuse survivors, Loud Fence, had been tying colourful ribbons as a symbol of solidarity. But church security has repeatedly been cutting them down. In another bold statement against the Cardinal, comedians from The Chaser attempted to gain entry into the memorial service as they carried a fake coffin filled with "evidence". Comedian and The Chasers War on Everything star, Charles Firth, along with Chaser colleague, Lachlan Hodson, clashed with police on the steps of the Cathedral as they claimed they had "a whole lot of evidence to bury alongside him", saying it's what Pell "would've wanted". <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The Chase have attempted to storm George Pell's memorial while his body lies in state at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral. 😳👇 <a href="https://t.co/U3IW10wveN">pic.twitter.com/U3IW10wveN</a> — The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/dailytelegraph/status/1620674735603580928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote> As one guard tries to stop the comedian from taking a step further, Firth tells him, "Don't touch me, I'm not an altar boy". "Wait a minute, is this an issue of consent? I don't understand, that's never worried you before," he said. As security urge Firth and Hodson to move away, the comedian tells the guards that he'll take the fake coffin to another parish as that's "normally the way it works". Cardinal Pell died in Rome in January after complications from hip surgery. He was 81. Pell was widely seen as the right-hand man of Pope Francis and the third most powerful figure in the church, before he was arrested in Australia for historic child sex abuse crimes within the church. The Cardinal was imprisoned in 2019 after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s and spent just 12 months in Barwon Prison near Melbourne before the Australian High Court quashed his convictions following an appeal. Despite being sentenced to six years in prison with a non-parole period of three years and eight months, there were no further trials and Pell walked free after more than 400 days in prison. Image credits: Nine News / Reddit

News

Steve Price clashes with Picasso protestors

Steve Price has clashed with a climate protestor who glued his hand to a Picasso painting in Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria. Police were called to the gallery on Sunday after two protesters stuck themselves to Picasso’s Massacre in Korea, which was being exhibited as part of The Picasso Century program. Climate change activist group Extinction Rebellion claimed responsibility for the protest in a video of the incident, which was live-streamed on Facebook. The video showed two protesters unfurling a flag which read “Climate Chaos = War + Famine”. “We are in a climate, ecological crisis,” a female protester said with her left hand stuck to the painting. Appearing on The Project on Monday, one of the protesters – retired teacher Tony Gleeson – said the purpose of their actions was to raise awareness about climate change. However, Steve Price wasn't buying his arguments, and said the group's logic behind the protest was flawed. “Why wouldn’t you go and glue your silly hand to a power station rather than a painting in a gallery when that painting is worth so much money?” Price asked. Mr Gleeson insisted he was never going to damage the painting because it was protected by a perspex shield. <div> <div id="aniBox"> <div id="aniplayer_AV62af35d851923c62777207b4-1665442990706"> <div id="aniplayer_AV62af35d851923c62777207b4-1665442990706gui"></div> </div> </div> </div> “We knew beforehand that painting was covered and it was carefully planned, we knew that it was covered and we knew that there was no chance of it being damaged,” Mr Gleeson said. “You can frame that whichever way you want, and you will. It’s your job to be provocative like that but I’m not going to wear it.” Price said he was “just being honest” and “speaking for the majority of people who don’t want vandals sticking their hands on perplex covering a Picasso with glue”. “They would rather if you want to protest, go and do that somewhere else,” he added. Mr Gleeson said his radical group had plans to do exactly that over in coming weeks. “Yeah, great,” Price replied, sarcastically. Image credits: The Project

Woman halts hundreds of protestors with kung fu moves

A New Zealand woman <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-kiwi-woman-tries-to-stop-anti-mandate-lockdown-protest-with-kung-fu-moves/OD4WENQRDBQOGK2TLZH2UEEZZI/" target="_blank">has taken the internet by storm</a> after her attempts to single-handedly stop a protest against vaccine mandates and lockdowns emerged online. The introduction of new mandates across the country and the placement of regions into strict lockdowns has prompted thousands of Kiwis to take to the streets in protest. At a recent rally in Nelson, on New Zealand’s South Island, an unknown woman took a stand against the crowd and attempted to stop them with a kung-fu move. The footage, posted to social media, shows the woman jumping in front of the protestors as they move down the street. Someone can be heard saying, “they’re not going to stop, lady”. Instead of moving out of their way, the woman took a kung-fu pose to halt the protest. However, the protestors managed to continue past her, lifting their banner that read “freedom for all Kiwis” over her head. The clip has since gone viral on social media, with many saying it was an “only in New Zealand” moment. “You have three props and three wingers on that front line. At what point did she believe they were going to stop?” one joked. “Okay let’s give nana an award for the best reaction to protesting,” another wrote. “Kung fu grandma love it!” a third said. This isn’t the first time a New Zealander has dealt with those hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine in their own, unique way. Another woman was spotted approaching vaccine-hesitant men and encouraging them to get the jab. Twitter user Te Kuru Dewes (@TeKuruDewes) said that the “Aunty” was “waving cars down” and making them get vaccinated. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Apparently there’s an Aunty stopping traffic in Mangamuka (Taitokerau), waving cars down and making grown anti-vax-leaning men go and get their jab in the van. Classic. — Te Kuru Dewes (@TeKuruDewes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeKuruDewes/status/1456388117447860225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote> “Apparently there’s an Aunty stopping traffic in Mangamuka (Taitokerau), waving down cars and making grown anti-vax-leaning men go and get their jab in the van. Classic,” they tweeted. “If anything is going to lift Māori vaxx rates it’s going to be Aunties that told you to get vaxxed or else,” one person replied. “Don’t mess with Aunties… just don’t,” another commented. The conflict between protestors and pro-vaccine grandmas and aunties comes as <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data" target="_blank">92 percent</a> of Kiwis have received their first COVID-19 jab and 84 percent are fully vaccinated. Image: Tiktok

Travel Trouble

Māori tribe tells anti-vax protestors to stop using the Ka Mate haka

Anti-vaccine protestors in New Zealand have adopted the Ka Mate haka and begun performing it at their rallies, and one Māori tribe has now told them in no uncertain terms to stop. The Ka Mate is a Māori haka composed around 1820 by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe, and is the haka performed by the All Blacks at international rugby test matches. In response to it being co-opted by anti-vax protestors, the Ngāti Toa tribe has released a statement telling them they do not have the tribe’s support or permission to perform the dance. "We do not support their position and we do not want our tupuna [ancestors] or our iwi [tribe] associated with their messages. Our message to protesters who wish to use Ka Mate is to use a different haka. We do not endorse the use of Ka Mate for this purpose." New Zealand has one of the lowest COVID-19 rates in the world, but has struggled to fight off the highly infectious Delta variant this year, forcing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to move from her previous strategy of elimination through lockdowns to living with the virus with higher vaccination rates. She has set a goal of vaccinating 90 per cent of those eligible before ending lockdowns entirely, and so far, about 81 per cent of the eligible population has received two doses of the vaccine. Anti-vaxxers and the far-right have responded negatively to newly introduced vaccine mandates, and took to the streets in several cities around New Zealand last week in protest. Protestors were seen marching through Christchurch and Wellington bearing pro-Trump flags, New Zealand flags, English flags, and signs featuring Nazi swastikas. Some protestors bore signs making reference to QAnon, while some scrawled threats onto tennis balls and lobbed them at members of the press. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Lots of balls thrown into the forecourt with messages. Mood of the protest has changed a bit too - lot of people up in our face saying we will get what’s coming to us etc <a href="https://t.co/gPD4oRAMu5">pic.twitter.com/gPD4oRAMu5</a> — henry cooke (@henrycooke) <a href="https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1457861367810064387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2021</a></blockquote> Following the introduction of vaccine mandates, Monday was the deadline for all education, disability, and health sector workers in New Zealand to have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Image: Sanka Vidanagama/AFP via Getty Images

Legal

Protestors force Daniel Andrews to abandon press conference

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews cancelled a press conference on Wednesday, following advice from police after protestors picketed his appearance at the opening of a regional TAFE. Andrews was touring a new TAFE in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo, but after protestors, chanting “kill the bill” and “coercion is not consent”, arrived outside the campus, the premier decided not to take questions from the media because of safety concerns raised by Victorian Police. The protestors were demonstrating against new pandemic laws introduced by the state government, as well as vaccine mandates. Before leaving, Andrews told the crowd, "to perhaps give you a quieter time, I'm going to go now". Protestors could be heard shouting insults such as “sack Dan Andrews” as the premier was ushered into a waiting car. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Daniel Andrews shows his face in public once and this is what happens... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DanNext?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DanNext</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KillTheBill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KillTheBill</a> Shot in Bendigo after a press conference. <a href="https://t.co/GLuHkjgUhW">pic.twitter.com/GLuHkjgUhW</a> — The Altruistic Capitalist (@kimchi2613) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimchi2613/status/1458269530283593732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote> The incident coincided with daily protests in Melbourne’s CBD, including a protest on Monday night that saw roughly 200 people gather on the steps of the Victorian Parliament. COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar and Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had to be escorted by police through the crowd. Meeting again on Tuesday, the crowd of protestors outside Parliament included Shadow Treasurer David Davis and Liberal Democrat David Limbrick. The laws being protested have been strongly criticised by Victorian Liberals and the Victorian Bar for being too broad and lacking proper scrutiny. Despite this, they passed the Legislative Assembly last month and are now awaiting the support of three crossbench MPs to pass the Legislative Council. The proposed laws seek to replace existing state of emergency powers, and would empower the premier and health minister of the day to declare pandemics and enforce health directions. Under existing laws, only the state’s chief health officer, who is not an elected official, has these powers. Image: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

News

“Appalling”: Dan Andrews rips into protestors after nurses are spat on

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has slammed the “appalling behaviour” of protesters after they “spat on” nurses at Melbourne’s Town Hall and now one of the protestors has tested positive to COVID, sparking fears of a superspreader event. About 300 to 400 protesters swarmed the city on Wednesday, despite stay-at-home orders and repeated warnings from authorities. The protestors are workers from the construction industry and they are protesting against lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations. On Monday night, Andrews announced that the construction industry would be shut down for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/319df788968f43ea843d1e44315507aa" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844355/melbourne-protests-3-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/319df788968f43ea843d1e44315507aa" /> Protestor tests positive for COVID On Thursday, the Victorian health department confirmed a person who attended the protests in Melbourne’s CBD on Wednesday has returned a positive COVID test result. The individual is being treated in a Melbourne hospital. The department stated: “We are urging protestors to get tested should they experience COVID-like symptoms, no matter how mild.” The person will be included in Friday’s COVID-19 case numbers for Victoria. With many protesters not wearing masks, the possibility of transmission has been a major concern to Victorian health authorities. Police have made 92 arrests over this set of protests so far. Image: Getty Images

News

Judge blasts 69-year-old lockdown protester who assaulted police

The lockdown protester threw pepper at police during a wild protest rally in Sydney, prompting the Magistrate to admonish him – “Shame on you.” A number of anti-lockdown protestors faced sentencing at the Downing Centre Local Court this week but it was 69-year-old Ron Mclean who felt the fury of the magistrate. The Summer Hill man pleaded guilty to assaulting police and failing to comply with health orders. Police state Mclean threw pepper in the face of one officer. He then threatened if he had a gun, he would have shot police and if he had a knife, he would have stabbed them. At the court, Mclean was given a suspended jail sentence of 12 months and a $200 fine. But he’d caught the eye of Magistrate Jennifer Giles and she made some strong remarks about his behaviour. “It cannot have escaped, even someone like you ... we are in the midst of a pandemic ... it’s a national emergency,” she said. “People need to pull their weight…At this moment police are hanging by their fingernails - shame on you,” Giles admonished the man. In his defence, Mclean said: “I haven’t been out of my house for months.” “All I did was hop on my bike and go for a ride around the corner. “I didn’t even know that was on. I don’t own a phone. I don’t even own a smart TV or anything.” Image: 7NEWS

Legal

Named and shamed: Full list of Sydney protestors charged

After thousands of unmasked protestors travelled to the Sydney CBD to protest the city’s lockdown measures, detectives have fined and charged over a dozen people who attended. The individuals were identified through social media posts, CCTV footage, and thousands of reports submitted by members of the public. An estimated 3500 people attended the “freedom” rally on Saturday, July 24, gathering at Victoria Park, opposite Broadway Shopping Centre, before marching into the CBD and back. Since the controversial event, over 6000 reports have been made to NSW Police, equating to nearly two reports per person who attended. The full list of offenders who were charged or fined, as reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/nsw-people-arrested-in-lockdown-protests-and-their-suburbs/news-story/ceedf135601e9aeb6a75552cd256704d" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a>, include: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kristian Pulkownik - the man who allegedly struck a police horse, who has appeared in short hearing and charged with animal cruelty, unlawful assembly, and breaching health orders.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Remon Korkise - a second man charged with animal cruelty for allegedly striking a police horse, who was also charged with assaulting an officer and breaching health orders.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Joseph Mekhael - a known Covid denier, charged with participating in the rally and breaching bail. He was granted strict bail that allows him to leave his home for court or medical appointments.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nikola Dedovic - a protestor who travelled from Wollongong to attend, where he allegedly pushed a police constable on a pushbike before running into the crowd.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jon-Bernard Kairouz - a Tiktok star who recently went viral for ‘predicting’ NSW’s daily Covid case numbers, and has been ordered to appear in court for breaching public health restrictions.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Mundine - a Covid denier and former boxer, Mundine was among the several people issued with court attendance notices for breaching public health rules.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Allan Omer - a 52-year-old who attended the rally and pleaded guilty to charges of resisting an officer, failing to comply with police directions, and defying COVID-19 public health orders.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Guerino Scevola - a man who allegedly assaulted 7 News reporter Robert Ovadia during the rally and was refused bail at Newtown Local Court.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Thomislav Mijic - police allege he assaulted an officer during the protest, and he was denied bail when he appeared before a magistrate at Liverpool Local Court.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">John Ruddick - a Liberal Democratic candidate for the seat of Warringah, Rudick received a $1000 fine for breaching Covid restrictions. He also said the rally would be an “experiment” to see whether “corpses would pile up” after the mostly maskless protestors marched.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ali Bazzi - the alleged senior member of the Comanchero bikie gang received a $1000 fine for attending the rally, where he took a selfie with former NRL player Taylor Winterstein.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Frank Winterstein and Taylor Winterstein - International rugby league player Frank Winterstein and his wife Taylor - both anti-vax campaigners - were both issued with $1000 fines for attending the rally, and shared videos and photos of themselves not wearing masks at the event.</li> </ul> High-profile individuals, business owners, and a NSW Ambulance paramedic were among those who attended the rally but have not had any action taken against them. According to the Daily Telegraph, these people included: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nellie Tilley - a socialite and high-profile interior designer, who claimed she was not an “anti-vaxxer” or against wearing masks but attended because she wants to visit her sick father in hospital.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sally-Ann John - a NSW Ambulance paramedic who live streamed the protest on social media. Her employer has referred her to police for investigations.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kiran and Kirt Mallie - Central Coast cafe and yoga studio owners who shared footage from the rally on social media.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Rhyss Keane - a gym owner who has previously been fined for keeping his business open during lockdown.</li> </ul> NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller made his position clear on any further attempts to defy lockdown orders and march this coming weekend. “Can I just put this warning out now to everyone: We will be heavily policing that event,” he said. “We will take the ground very early. “You will be arrested. “The community has spoken about that behaviour ... and it won’t be tolerated.”

Legal

”Utter contempt”: Gladys urges Sydney to dob in lockdown protestors

Over 5,500 reports have been made to NSW police by the public in an attempt to identify the estimated 3,500 people who attended an anti-lockdown protest in central Sydney. The Police Minister David Elliot revealed 63 people have been charged while 35 have been arrested, as of Sunday morning. He said nearly 200 of people who defied stay-at-home orders during Saturday’s protest have already been identified. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842660/gladys-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eca959da2d874e2fb1f0f4fdebdac4f2" /> “What is very pleasing from a law and order point of view is the fact that overnight, 5,500 people have provided evidence to the NSW Police through Crime Stoppers,” Elliot said. “5,500 reports to Crime Stoppers essentially means that all 3,500 people that were there yesterday could find themselves with a penalty notice, if not charges.” NSW Premier Gladys Berjiklian has announced she was left disgusted by those who had shown “utter contempt for their fellow citizens.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842659/gladys-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eb422224bdd54be0a9de008d4d1b5202" /> “We know that events like that can cause those super-spreading events, and please know that all of the sacrifices we’ve made over the last three or four weeks in particular have resulted in us being able to stabilise the growth in cases,” Berejiklian told reporters. “We don’t want a setback, and yesterday could have been a setback.” The NSW Premier has encouraged the public to report anyone they might have recognised through footage at the illegal protest. Images: Getty

News

Anti-lockdown protestors flood Melbourne after VIC Premier announcement

"Chaos" unfolded in Melbourne as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that there would be a fifth five-day snap lockdown to stop the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. “We’ve got to do this, otherwise it will get away with us and we, as more than any other part of our nation know, we don’t want this getting away from us and being locked down for months,” Mr Andrews said. “We want to deal with this with a short, sharp, lockdown, decisive action, not waiting, not dawdling, now is our time.” Victoria currently has 18 cases, with at least 6,500 residents being forced into isolation as close contacts. Protestors filled the Melbourne CBD at 7pm, just hours before the midnight lockdown would be enforced, with signs saying "lockdown kills" and many protestors not wearing a face mask. 7 News reporter Estelle Griepink tweeted about the protests, saying that they were chanting "Sack Dan Andrews". “We’ve spoken to plenty of people today who say they are frustrated but understand these measures are necessary,” Griepink said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Protestors gathered on the steps of Flinders St chanting sack Dan Andrews. Some commuters walking past shaking their heads <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@7NewsMelbourne</a> <a href="https://t.co/Maj415bS2A">pic.twitter.com/Maj415bS2A</a> — Estelle Griepink (@EstelleGriepink) <a href="https://twitter.com/EstelleGriepink/status/1415603090611314690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> Protestors were just "regular everyday people who have had enough". “I’ve got friends who are really frustrated and on the verge of their businesses going a really bad way. “As it stands at the moment so many people have lost their businesses, their homes, their families ripped apart. “We pay the price.” Victorian Police told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/antilockdown-protesters-storm-melbourne-hours-after-daniel-andrews-announcement/news-story/b8ddd8f95df6640bd0936add28f6d8f1">news.com.au</a> that there were no arrests or any fines issued due to the protests. Andrews stands by his decision for the snap lockdown, saying the state must "go hard" to prevent the spread. “You only get one chance to go hard and go fast. If you wait, if you hesitate, if you doubt, then you will always be looking back wishing you had done more earlier,” he said. “I am not prepared to avoid a five-day lockdown now only to find ourselves in a five-week or a five-month lockdown. “That is why we are making this very difficult decision and why I know Victorians will, despite the pain and difficulty of this, know and understand there is no option.”

News

Woman shot as armed pro-Trump protestors storm US Capitol

A woman was shot on Thursday morning after hundreds of MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. The Donald Trump supporters made one final bid to overthrow democracy as the president carries out his final days in office. A number of protestors not only swarmed the streets but managed to breach into the US capitol building, breaking through barriers and withstanding tear gas as well as an armed standoff. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A person on a stretcher just wheeled out with what appears to be a serious injury. <a href="https://t.co/wucrpusBzE">pic.twitter.com/wucrpusBzE</a> — Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeDelMoro/status/1346910181075021828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote> Reports said that one woman was in “critical condition” after being shot in the chest, and that resuscitation efforts were underway. It has been suggested that an officer was the one who fired the shot, however the circumstances surrounding the situation are yet to be determined. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGERY <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> BREAKING: Trump supporters have breached the Capitol building, tearing down 4 layers of security fencing and are attempting to occupy the building — fighting federal police who are overrun This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Thousands, police can’t stop them <a href="https://t.co/VVdTUwV5YN">pic.twitter.com/VVdTUwV5YN</a> — ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1346881968819105792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote> House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed the shooting in an interview with Fox News, saying, "I'm with Capital police, I heard on the radio: 'Shots fired.'" "I have been in this Capitol for more than 10 years and I've never seen anything like this," McCarthy added. Media commentators were audibly shaken up as they likened the “attempted coup” to that of a “third world country” or “civil war”. “This is just Bedlam … this is Trump’s rebellion,” one said, adding the situation was “very, very tense” and “out of control”. Trump, who lost the popular and electoral college vote in the 2020 presidential elections, has continued to dispute the results without evidence. As of Thursday morning, the only message the US president has made is a tweet urging Americans to “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”

News

"Disgraceful": Anti-mask protestors slammed after swarming busy shopping centre

A group of anti-mask protesters who swarmed a popular shopping centre in Bondi Junction on Sunday have been slammed on social media. Footage has been circulating of people holding up signs that read “masks increase your risk of infection!” While marching through the Westfield shopping centre. The irresponsible display didn’t sit well with many including public relations director and socialite Roxy Jacenko who posted footage of the protestors on her Instagram Stories, slamming them as “disgraceful”. “Sorry. But people have died,” she wrote. “Put a f**king mask on. This does not sit well with me.” She was also concerned about the children, who were being taught to disregard the advice of professionals. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A great way to convince people to wear masks is for the government to make them free for those in need, another is to check out the right wing religious fringe who oppose mask wearing. This from Bondi Junction shops today <a href="https://t.co/VkRqUWIbxF">pic.twitter.com/VkRqUWIbxF</a> — David Shoebridge (@ShoebridgeMLC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShoebridgeMLC/status/1345584985223270401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote> NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge also posted footage of the protesters, noting that checking out the “right wing religious fringe” who oppose mask wearing was a great way to convince people to wear masks. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the protesters sang “I would rather be a human than a slave” and “you can stick your sanitiser up your arse”. New restrictions came into effect on Sunday that require people in Greater Sydney to wear a mask in places like shopping centres and on trains. The move to make masks mandatory has been supported by experts including University of New South Wales Professor of Epidemiology Mary-Louise McLaws. “Masks are an important part of the infection prevention bundle,” she told the Today show on Sunday morning. “Making it mandatory takes away the decision making by somebody who may not realise that they have the early phase of COVID, and they can spread it just by breathing out and of course by talking.”

News

John Farnham slams coronavirus protestors

Australian rock icon John Farnham is not impressed with the coronavirus protestors who are marching to a legendary tune of his. The manager of Farnham has hit out at the protestors who performed a rendition of the star’s You’re the Voice at Melbourne Chadwick Shopping Centre on Sunday afternoon. About 50 people gathered in front of a pharmacy to perform it and it has become a common tune protestors play as the stage 4 restrictions press on. However, Farnham and his manager have distanced themselves from the protests, and spoken out in a short statement. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837953/john-farnham-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9344543249d145f3a67cb48427a8e89e" /> Speaking to 7NEWS, manager Glenn Wheatley said John vehemently disagreed to the use of his song in a public protest during the lockdown. “It’s very offensive to John and I that they choose to use You’re the Voice as the theme of this protest,” he said. Anti-lockdown protesters have now rallied for three consecutive weekends despite continued pleas not to do so. Hundreds of people gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance on the first Saturday of September. Hundreds more met at Queen Victoria Market the following Sunday. Every protest has had a heavy police presence and resulted in COVID fines and arrests. Melbourne however has recorded 11 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths. For the first time in several months, the state is on track to begin easing restrictions next week.

News

Aussie protestors did it for their "Instagram moments"

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said protesters, in particular politicians who joined the marches against racism, were taking to the streets for their “Instagram moments”. Appearing on Sky News, he slammed federal members of parliament who took part, saying they should be “leading from the front” when it comes to health advice on COVID-19 about mass gatherings. "Those politicians should take a good, long, hard look at themselves," he said. "They did it for their Instagram moments, their Twitter moments. But it's so irresponsible." Over the weekend, several protests for the Black Lives Matter movement took place across major capital cities, attracting thousands of people to take part. According to McCormack, the protests have potentially delayed the nation’s reopening. “They placed at risk all the good work that so many Australians, themselves included, had done for so many weeks," he said. "Let's hope over the next fortnight when many of them may well come down with flu-like symptoms, let's hope it's not COVID-19."

News

Former PM John Howard mobbed by protestors

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard was fiercely heckled on Thursday, after bumping into a trade union protest on cuts to penalty rates in the Sydney CBD. Rallies organised by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) saw thousands protest in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane yesterday. The 77-year-old landed smack bang in the middle of the Sydney protest after exiting a conference in the CBD, and has to be “rescued by police” as protestors harangued the former PM. A range of videos have been shared on social media depicting Mr Howard walking down Pitt St flanked by NSW policemen as noisy protestors make their point heard. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSocialistAlternativeSydney%2Fvideos%2F10158369551325080%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was highly critical of the actions of the protestors, tweeting after the run in, “I condemn CFMEU's thuggish harassment of John Howard today. A reminder of why ABCC is needed.” Opposition Leader Bill Shorten echoed the PM’s sentiment when asked if he thought the behaviour was an appropriate way to protest, saying, “No, of course not.” The CFMEU issued a statement arguing Mr Howard had “walked into the rally” which was, “peacfiul but loud”, adding, “From the footage we have seen, it appears some protesters made their views known to Mr Howard about anti-worker laws he introduced while prime minister, as a result of which he lost an election and his seat.” What’s your take? Are the protestors well within their rights to have their points heard? Or is it a disrespectful way to treat a 77-year-old former prime minister? Hero image credit: Twitter / 7 News Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/01/honda-urgent-car-recall/">Honda issues urgent recall of 25,000 more cars</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/01/ad-challenges-monarchys-role-in-australia/">Controversial new ad challenges the monarchy’s role in Australia</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/01/petrol-prices-surge-to-18-month-high/">Petrol prices surge to 18-month high</a>

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