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Thousands of demonstrators descended on to Melbourne’s central business district on Saturday, protesting against the Victorian government’s new pandemic powers and vaccine mandates.
According to a report by The Guardian, the protest, which included signs advocating violence against politicians and a man carrying a prop gallows with three nooses hanging from it, came as the state recorded 1,221 Covid-19 cases and four deaths.
The protesters also singled out vaccine mandates, as the mandate for construction workers took effect on Saturday. The mandate, which sparked violent protests across Melbourne in September, required all tradies to have had two vaccine doses by Saturday.
The requirement will extend to residential aged care workers on Monday. About 1 million of the state’s essential workers in total will be required to be double-jabbed by 26 November.
Thousands of demonstrators descended on to Melbourne’s central business district on Saturday, protesting against the Victorian government’s new pandemic powers and vaccine mandates.
According to a report by The Guardian, the protest, which included signs advocating violence against politicians and a man carrying a prop gallows with three nooses hanging from it, came as the state recorded 1,221 Covid-19 cases and four deaths.
The report read:
Wet weather did not deter the crowd, which chanted “kill the bill” and “sack Dan Andrews” as it blocked tram lines and marched from the Victorian State Library to Parliament House in Spring Street.
Many held signs that likened the Victorian government to oppressive regimes and former Liberal MP and current head of the United Australia party Craig Kelly addressed the crowd outside Parliament House, denouncing vaccine passports and the vaccination of children.
Kelly said Australia was being “governed by medical bureaucrats that are part of a mad, insane cult” and claimed the party would “bring Daniel Andrews to his knees” at the next federal election.
The new pandemic laws, which will replace the state-of-emergency powers that expire on 15 December, will allow the premier and health minister to declare a pandemic and make public health orders.
The new laws will also curtail the role and responsibilities of the chief health officer.
The protesters also singled out vaccine mandates, as the mandate for construction workers took effect on Saturday. The mandate, which sparked violent protests across Melbourne in September, required all tradies to have had two vaccine doses by Saturday.
The requirement will extend to residential aged care workers on Monday. About 1 million of the state’s essential workers in total will be required to be double-jabbed by 26 November.
Anyone with a valid medical exemption will be able to continue working.
Liberal upper house leader David Davis called the premier’s pandemic legislation a “grab for power” but urged protesters not to resort to violence.
“I would encourage Victorians to fight on every level against Daniel Andrews’ terrible pandemic bill … but they should make their views known in a peaceful and calm and sensible way,” he told reporters.
The protest came a week after about 3,000 people attended a protest last Saturday, calling for the resignation of the Victorian premier.
So far, 86% of eligible Victorians have now received both doses of the Covid vaccine, with 92% receiving the first dose. The state is managing 16,671 active Covid cases, some 405 of them in hospital care. Seventy-seven patients are in intensive care, 51 of them requiring ventilation.
New South Wales recorded no new deaths from Covid for the first time in months on Saturday, recording 250 new locally acquired cases.
The health districts with the most cases were in south-western Sydney, where 54 people tested positive, and western Sydney, where there were 42 new cases.
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