By Cam Lucadou-Wells
During a week of tense lockdown protests on Dandenong streets, a 48-year-old man described by police as an “event organiser” has been arrested at his Dandenong home on Friday 28 August.
The man was charged with breaching bail conditions and breaching Chief Health Officer directions, police say.
He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court the next day.
Police had arrested 10 people and issued 72 fines as they cracked down on the mass 5pm walks in George Andrews Reserve, Kirkham Road and surrounds.
Numbers peaked at more than 80 on one of the nights, as streams of walkers marched with the national anthem played over speakers.
Videos were posted on social media of a man being tackled to ground by several police on 26 August.
Soon after, a police officer armed with pepper spray instructed the crowd to “back off”. The crowd heckled, booed and yelled a torrent of abuse at police.
On another video post, a man filmed police and taunted them to “say cheese for the camera”.
As he’s issued a $1652 fine, he tells the officer he is “exercising his right to exercise”. The officer says he didn’t believe the man was there for a “lawful purpose”.
By the weekend, the activity had noticeably calmed. There were just five fines issued on Sunday 30 August, and none on the day before.
On Monday 24 August, a successful businessman who has run a long-running and self-funded youth centre was arrested by police at George Andrews Reserve.
The 48-year-old Dandenong man was charged with incitement, fined for disobeying Chief Health Officer directions and released on bail. His arrest was filmed and went viral on social media.
The next day, he posted a video reading aloud his bail conditions to comply with CHO directions, to not incite others and not to use electronic devices to organise rallies or public meetings.
On the video, the man directed his ire at the state’s stage-4 lockdown by Premier Daniel Andrews – or who he termed “Dictator Dan”.
Victoria or the world should not be shut down because of Covid-19 – it was not worth destroying the economy.
The virus was killing mainly elderly people, many in palliative care, he said. The flu had killed twice as many people last year.
Meanwhile the Covid lockdown was also “killing our youth” through suicide and depression, the man argued.
“They don’t know what to do with themselves.”
A 76-year-old Windsor man has been charged with incitement over the promotion of a Melbourne CBD rally on 5 September, police say,
As crowds swelled in Dandenong, Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius took aim at “selfish” and “foolish” lockdown protesters trying to dress up their disobedience as “exercise”.
“We all know it’s not, so stop playing us and the wider community for fools.”
“Just for one moment, stop thinking about yourself but spare a thought for the loved ones of nearly 500 Victorians who have died so far (due to Covid-19).
“Stay at home and stop the spread.”
Asst Comm Cornelius also savaged the “the tin-foil hat-wearing brigade” and its “bat-s*** crazy nonsense”.
“They’re taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so-called sovereign citizens, about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids.
“The wider community is awake up to you and you need to stop it.”
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti called for “calm and compliance” from residents in response to daily anti-lockdown protests.
His statement issued on 27 August was headed “Dandenong Protests” – a backdown from his assertion days earlier that the mass gatherings were not protests.
“We must all accept that we are in this together and that we will only maintain the positive improvements that have been achieved by Victorians, if we all adhere to the restrictions.”
The gatherings had noticeably “settled down” over the weekend, with more “doing the right thing”, he later told the Star Journal
Cr Memeti urged people not to stop exercising but just to ensure they’re wearing masks and keeping 1.5 metres from other exercising pairs.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams have also called the Dandenong protestors for compliance.
Ms Williams said it was also important to ensure access to “accurate information”.
“Unfortunately there has been a lot of deliberate misinformation being circulated.
“It’s important people only take advice from properly informed and credible sources, such as DHHS and the Chief Health Officer.”
The 3175 postcode, which includes Dandenong and Dandenong South, is the South-East’s Covid hotspot.
However, active cases have dramatically dropped in recent weeks. As of 30 August, there were 77 active cases, down from 137 two weeks ago.
