Silent protests erupt at government buildings around Australia

Hundreds of Australians have unleashed on state governments around the country in a series of silent protests as furious residents slam neverending lockdowns and Covid-19 vaccination mandates.

There have been 69 demonstrations in New South Wales alone on Tuesday as police arrest 135 people, with more expected as the day goes on.

Similar protests have been seen outside government buildings and police stations in Melbourne and parts of Queensland in what many have labelled August 31 as ‘Shut Down Australia Day’.  

While the rallies were meant to be peaceful, the Queensland Parliament building was forced to lock down after one protester tried to break into the chamber. 

The silent protesters have been met with large groups of police with countless residents being taken away in handcuffs for breaching public health orders.

NSW Police confirmed as of 1pm on Tuesday 436 infringements for breaching health orders had been handed out to protesters across the state.

Eleven rallies were held in Sydney’s south-west, which remains the centre of the latest Covid-19 outbreak.

The protests were initially organised by truck drivers furious at vaccine mandates given to those in Sydney’s 12 LGA hotspots and any essential workers travelling into Queensland – but others have since hijacked the rallies calling for an end to lockdown and Covid restrictions.

Since Monday authorised workers from the LGAs have been unable to their area unless they’ve had one dose of the vaccine. This also applies to essential workers entering Queensland. 

Truckies around the country are also required to be tested every few days.

But truck drivers have resented the rule changes and say they should have the freedom to live how they choose. 

As many as 50 people were seen outside the Sutherland Shire Council building in Sutherland, south Sydney, on Tuesday morning.

Police quickly arrived at the scene and were forced to disperse the growing crowd with a handful of residents arrested.

Similar scenes were seen in Sydney’s CBD and in the east with a silent protest also taking place outside the Waverley Council building. 

In Blacktown, in the city’s west, things took an ugly turn when a scuffle kicked off between a woman and police.

She cried out ‘I do not consent’ as offices tried to detain her meanwhile others chanted ‘my body, my choice’.

In Fairfield, which has seen an alarmingly high number of Covid infections, police were seen telling the dozens that had gathered to protest to leave or face fines.

Members of the crowd yelled out ‘You serve us’ as many refused to leave the area.

‘We’ve got no money, no jobs bro!’ one man called out to the officer, referencing the hard lockdown imposed in the area.

‘We can’t feed our kids mate, I can’t pay my rent!’. 

An abysmal four people showed up for a protest in Dubbo in western NSW and didn’t hang around for long after seeing police pull up.

Grafton, in northern NSW, saw one of the biggest turnouts with around 100 people silently protesting outside the Clarence Valley council building.

Many were arrested after refusing to move on. 

Bizarrely in Mullumbimby, near Byron Bay, a herd of protesters were seen eerily humming as they stood near a local hall. Twenty-four protests were held in the state’s northern region on Tuesday.

Just ten residents in Goulburn, in NSW’s southern tablelands gathered outside the council chambers with police aware of 13 rallies in the state’s southern regions.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said several officers involved had suffered ‘minor’ injuries during the day of chaos.

‘It’s very disappointing that people would think this was appropriate behaviour in the current circumstances,’ he said. 

‘We are very comfortable with free speech… but when that’s with contravention to the public health order, police will not tolerate it.’ 

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard slammed those willing to put the community at risk by protesting amid the state’s worse outbreak since the pandemic began.

‘There’s a certain group who are unfortunately spending more time on social media and listening to people with crackpot ideas than you will have reading the scientific journals and talking to the doctors,’ he said. 

‘My advice is to talk to your doctor about what you should be doing to stop this virus.’ 

In Queensland which is not under lockdown restrictions, hundreds gathered together outside the Gold Coast Council Chambers.

Police reinforcements were also sent to the Gold Coast City Hall due to fears anti-vaxxers were threatening to storm the building. 

Frustrated residents were calling on the government to reverse its vaccine requirement for essential workers.

Many stood with their backs against the council building while staring silently at the ground. 

Meanwhile the Queensland state parliament building was completely locked down due to the mass of 150 protesters gathered outside. 

At least one protester had tried to enter the chamber.

The protest followed a fiery start to question time in which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was forced to defend the decision to allow NRL WAGS and officials to fly into Queensland yesterday afternoon.

Speaker Curtis Pitt said the protest related to voluntary assisted dying legislation, due to be debated by the Queensland Parliament this week.

It’s believed a small, peaceful protest by those opposed to the euthanasia bill were joined by people protesting against ‘vaccination passports’, including Queensland’s recent introduction of a rule requiring essential workers coming into the state from NSW to have had one shot of a Covid vaccine. 

Police advised the Speaker there had been ‘an attempted intrusion of the precinct’.

Members were not allowed in or out of the parliamentary chamber.

A large banner reading: ‘No vaxx passports. Our body, our choice!’ was hung up on the fence guarding the government building and police kept a watchful eye on protesters. 

Things turned violent when Queensland Police tried to arrest an elderly woman who repeatedly called out ‘I do not consent’.

Protesters had tried to encircle officers with pieces of clothing like scarves and shirts as the crowd chanted ‘Let her go’.

She was eventually dragged away from the area while protesters hurled abuse towards the police involved. 

Some assumed the protests were in relation to Queensland’s border restrictions and its two-week pause to hotel quarantine for interstate hotspot arrivals from NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

‘No wonder… letting sports teams and their families in while others can’t come in to the state to visit dying family members,’ one person wrote online. 

More residents banded together for a silent protest in Tewantin in Noosa with demonstrators standing shoulder to shoulder. 

Melbourne was no different with most residents detained before a protest could even kick off.

Shocking photos show one man being held down by police near the Victorian Government House.

Others were taken away in handcuffs while mounted police stood firm outside the government building.

Melbournians are in the midst of their sixth lockdown due to a recent outbreak of the Delta variant. 

All up residents of the city have endured more than 200 days under strict stay at home orders.