Byron
Echo, 20 August 2021:
In
response to questions about a protest being arranged at the Jack
Evans Boat Harbour over the policy for a vaccination being required
for crossing the border into Queensland, police media said officers
from Tweed/Byron Police District will continue conducting a
high-visibility policing operation to ensure compliance of the Public
Health Order.....
Hundreds
of protesters descended on the [Sydney]
CBD despite the police presence and warnings to
stay away. (ABC
News: Josh Bavas)
NSW
Police, News,
21 August 2021:
Police
have arrested 47 people and issued more than 260 Penalty Infringement
Notices in a swift and coordinated response to disrupt protest
activity in the Sydney CBD and across regional NSW.
Earlier
today (Saturday 21 August 2021), a high-visibility policing operation
was launched across Sydney and regional NSW, to prevent, disrupt and
respond to any planned mass gathering or protest activity.
More
than 1500 police, including general duties officers from across the
Central Metropolitan Region, assisted by specialist police from the
Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS), Operations Support Group (OSG),
Police Transport Command, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and the
Dog and Mounted Unit, were involved in the operation.
Additionally,
police issued a prohibition notice to taxi, rideshare and passenger
services from conveying passengers to the Sydney CBD, to restrict the
movement of potential protesters.
During
the state-wide operation, 47 people were arrested and are currently
in the process of being charged.
Of
note, a 32-year-old Five Dock man was arrested after allegedly
assaulting a police officer at Mountain Street, Ultimo, about 12.30pm
today. He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where charges are
expected to be laid. The male constable was taken to hospital for
treatment after sustaining injuries to his neck and head.
In
addition, police issued 261 Penalty Infringement Notices for breaches
of the public health orders.
Minister
for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said he was
disappointed that some people still ignored all warnings to stay at
home and keep their loved ones safe.
“We
saw the community backlash after the last protest and that was a
genuine reflection of how they saw the actions of a small minority,”
Mr Elliott said.
“That
small minority has again chosen to blatantly ignore the very clear,
repeated warnings of NSW Police, which is disappointing, frustrating
and – frankly – disgraceful.
“The
actions they have taken are likely to prolong the very lockdown they
were protesting about…….
ABC
News,
21 August 2021:
After
the arrests, users inside encrypted messaging apps where the protests
were being organised in real-time began to panic.
"Where
are our leaders?!" one Sydney user wrote into the group.
"Where
the f*** are people who promised to lead it?"
One
member of the channel said they were forced to turn around after
running into the police blockade another called the event an "epic
fail".
The
Sydney protest lost momentum after one of its key organisers, Anthony
Khallouf, was jailed yesterday for breaching public health orders…..
Weekend Australian, 21 August 2021;
An
anti-lockdown activist who drove from Queensland to Sydney to help
organise an unauthorised protest scheduled for Saturday has been
sentenced to eight months’ jail for multiple breaches of public
health orders and other offences.
Anthony
Khallouf, one of the organisers behind last month’s violent
anti-lockdown rally, was arrested on Thursday after The Australian
revealed he had travelled to Sydney and checked into a luxury hotel.
Hornsby
Local Court heard on Friday that Khallouf travelled extensively
throughout Sydney after arriving on Sunday, including visiting a
relative in the Covid-ravaged west of the city, before being tracked
down at a train station in Sydney’s north.
The
29-year-old was also convicted of “false representation resulting
in police investigation” after telling followers on Instagram on
Wednesday to call police because his life was in danger....
9News,
21 August 2021:
Mr
Elliott [NSW
Police Minister] said 38,000 cars were stopped
from entering Sydney's CBD at various access points and roughly 130
tickets were issued to drivers.
"These
orders are not a restriction on freedom of speech, they are a
temporary restriction on freedom of movement.
"Please
be aware there will again be plenty of police ready to deploy in
response to any protest 2.0 planned for tomorrow and if people try to
protest next weekend, we will do it all over again.
SBS
News,
21 August 2021:
NSW
is readying for a raft of new COVID-19 rules to become mandatory on
Monday as the premier pleads with Sydney residents to "bunker
down" for at least another six weeks.
Premier
Gladys Berejiklian on Friday announced stay-at-home orders will now
apply in Sydney until at least September 30 while a dozen hotspot
local government areas will face harsher rules, including a curfew
from 9pm to 5am.
"It
is time for all of us to bunker down and take this as seriously as we
can," the premier said on Friday…..
