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Ten people were arrested and a police officer was injured in a protest against the closure in Melbourne, Australia, today when protesters claimed that the coronavirus was a conspiracy designed by the government to control the population.
Around 150 protesters demonstrated outside Victoria’s Parliament House to protest a shutdown aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, while also selling conspiracy theories about the virus.
Most Australian states and territories have begun easing the restrictions, but Victoria has delayed the relaxation of its measures amid an outbreak at a Melbourne slaughterhouse that caused an increase in new cases.
Protesters carried banners saying “Fight for your freedom and your rights,” and directed their anger at the Microsoft founder, singing “Arrest Bill Gates.”
Fano Panayides, 37, said he was skeptical of the Australian government that declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, and said he believed it was a cover for authorities to gain more control over the population.
“If this thing were half as deadly as they said, with half the population out there working, even with shutdown orders, this thing would have spread like wildfire across Australia. There would be no way to stop her. ” he told AFP.
Health experts attribute Australia’s success in curbing the spread of Covid-19 to effective closure nationwide.
A Victoria police spokeswoman said 10 people were arrested at today’s rally, mainly for violating social estrangement and orders to stay home.
“Three of the criminals will also be accused of assaulting a police officer, and another criminal will be accused of unloading a missile after allegedly throwing a bottle at the police,” he said.
Australian Medical Director Brendan Murphy said there was “a lot of very silly misinformation”, including that the virus was linked to 5G.
In New South Wales (NSW), home to the country’s largest city, Sydney, restaurants, playgrounds, and outdoor pools will reopen on Friday, May 15.
Cafes and restaurants will be able to seat 10 customers at a time, outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed and up to five people will be able to visit a home.
Schools in New South Wales will reopen starting tomorrow, but they will only allow students to attend one day a week on a staggered basis.
Australia has recorded around 7,000 cases of Covid-19 and less than 100 deaths from the virus.
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