https://www.skynews.com.au/australi...s-story/f48d242de88c0a7b92bb6c8289fa1eeeChaotic scenes as Melbourne protesters charge police lines, violent clashes at Qld Freedom Rally
September 18, 2021 - 4:17PM
Viral footage has been posted on social media of Melbourne protesters charging through police lines as thousands of Queenslanders gathered in Brisbane for a Freedom Day rally.
The demonstration started at 12pm after a crowd gathered at Richmond Town Hall, which is located a few blocks down from the local police station.
Later in the day the mood turned violent with protesters tackled to the ground by officers and protesters charging through police lines.
Capsicum spray has been used by police to keep protesters at bay and Twitter clips have shown an officer trampled by shouting demonstrators.
Anti-lockdown activists have marched through Richmond and Hawthorn chanting “no more lockdowns” and “sack Dan Andrews”.
While Victoria Police launched a major operation with checkpoints and barricades, protesters managed to evade officers after moving the protest from the CBD to Richmond at the last minute.
Several arrests have been made by law enforcement and protesters risk a $5,500 fine for breaching public health orders.
Meanwhile in Queensland, a counterpart Freedom Day rally, which started out peacefully, descended into violence after a man was arrested.
Protesters clashed with police, screaming at officers to let the man go. After the incident, heavily armed quads and special units were deployed to monitor crowds.
Brisbane protesters called for the end of mask mandates, lockdowns and spoke out against the COVID-19 vaccine.
Queensland currently has light restrictions in place while Melbourne and Ballarat are under tough lockdowns due to high COVID-19 cases.
A Freedom Day rally planned for Sydney fell through after police arrived at meeting points before protesters and set up a series of checkpoints across the city.
Multiple people were arrested at Sydney Park, which is being patrolled by dozens of officers to prevent protesters from gatherings.
One man was led away by police after he spoke to a crowd of picnickers and police officers arrested two others for not wearing face masks, the ABC reported.
City-bound traffic and public transport have been subjected to police checkpoints and taxi services and other transportation methods are prohibited from taking passengers to the CBD.
