While I am opposed to the lockdowns on scientific grounds, and sympathise with people who are hurting, assaulting police and putting them in hospital will be totally counter-productive, beyond the obvious wrongs. The ordinary Australian people do not support this sort of violent civil disobedience, which is right out of the US antifa little red book. The assaulters came for a fight taking weapons like beer bottles with them; so much for concern about Covid. I hypothesise that many of the violent protesters were from the Left, but there is no information on this.
The protests will only extend the lockdowns, and worse, before too long someone is going to get killed, the way things are out of control. By all means protest the lockdowns on-line, but breaking the law is quite another thing.
“Nine police officers were hospitalised after an anti-lockdown demonstration in Melbourne, in what Victoria Police say is one of the most violent protests seen in 20-years.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the “vast majority” came prepared for violence against police, with thousands turning out armed with flares, beer bottles, marbles and ceramic insulators.
“One police officer was assaulted, pushed against a wall and when they went to the ground were repeatedly punched and possibly kicked,” he said.
Mr Patton said one officer remained in hospital and may have to undergo surgery on his leg while a couple had potentially suffered broken noses.
He said 250 people had been processed, more than a million dollars worth of fines issued two people had been remanded and 19 would be subject to court proceedings.
He said early intelligence suggested the majority of the around 5,000 protesters were angry men aged between 25-40 who were “intent on mayhem”.
Mr Patton defended the use of pepper bullets by Victoria Police, saying they needed to de escalate the situation as protesters threw projectiles at officers on the scene.
“The risk that those people have now posed to the rest of the community by the conduct yesterday is disgraceful and it’s selfish,” he said.”
While the guns firing the pepper bullets look deadly, it is probably better than rubber bullets, and the police are justified in using these guns against rocks and bottles. It is shocking that things have got to this level of violence in Australia. It is what one would expect in a place like Oregon.