Novak Djokovic faces deportation from Australia again, this time because his presence may 'excite anti-vaccination sentiment'



Men's world number-one tennis player Novak Djokovic had his visa application revoked by the Australian government a second time due to his being unvaccinated against COVID-19. The Serbian tennis star now faces deportation once again and will be unable to defend his title at the 2022 Australian Open unless he can win a last-minute appeal.

The Guardian reported that Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Friday used his ministerial discretion to revoke Djokovic's visa on public interest grounds, saying his presence at the tournament could "excite anti-vaccination sentiment."

In a statement, the minister reportedly said he canceled the visa "on health and good order grounds, [and] on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so." He added that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government "is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The order was given just three days prior to the grand slam tournament, which Djokovic has won a record nine times. Its close proximity to the first match makes it unlikely that the tennis player will be able to compete.

Immediately following the order, Djokovic’s attorney, Nicholas Wood, proposed a hearing to consider overturning the cancellation. He argued there was "no rational basis" for the conclusion and noted that Hawke’s reasoning was "radically different" from the reason for the first cancellation.

Last week, Djokovic was stopped at the Australian border and held in a room guarded by police after landing in Melbourne en route to the tournament grounds at Melbourne Park.

Though unvaccinated, he had been granted a vaccine exemption by Tennis Australia, the country's governing body for the sport, allowing him to compete. The exemption was also approved by the Victoria state government. But the national government and the Australian Border Force essentially overruled the exemption and refused to sponsor his visa.

According to ESPN, Djokovic spent four nights in an immigration detention hotel before a judge overturned the ruling and ordered his release. That same judge, Anthony Kelly, will reportedly preside over the new appeal, but Djokovic's fate remains uncertain.

The sports outlet said Djokovic will remain free Friday night but will have to return to immigration detention when he meets with Australian Border Force officials Saturday morning. It also noted that deportation from Australia can lead to a three-year ban from the country, though that ban can be waived in certain circumstances.

In response to the news, Prime Minister Morrison praised his immigration minister's actions, citing the suffering that Australians have had to endure throughout the pandemic and the lengths they have gone to in order to slow the virus' spread.

"This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for every Australian, but we have stuck together and saved lives and livelihoods. ... Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected," Morrison reportedly said in a statement. "This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today."

Everyone at the Australian Open — including players, staff, and spectators — is required to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. Acceptable reasons for receiving an exemption are acute major medical conditions, serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or evidence of a COVID-19 infection within the past six months.

There has been much speculation over the reason for Djokovic's exemption, though many believe it to be infection within the previous six months. That has not been confirmed, however.

Australian man set himself on fire after reportedly denouncing strict pandemic regulations



A man set himself on fire after denouncing the strict pandemic regulations in Australia according to local news outlets.

The gruesome incident unfolded on New Year's Day in the Richmond section of Melbourne at about 8 p.m.

The man was sitting in his car and had been loudly denouncing the social distancing mandates in Victoria when he doused himself with gasoline and lit himself and his car on fire, according to the Herald Sun.

“He was screaming about mandates,” said one witness to the Sun. “He was screaming ‘No vax ID,’ and throwing books.”

"His skin was burning. He was on fire,” said an unidentified witness to the news outlet.

Witnesses said that five bystanders helped firefighters and police restrain the man so that they could extinguish the fire.

The man was transported by ambulance to a local hospital in stable, but critical, condition.

Video of the gruesome incident was posted to social media by 5 News Australia.

Victoria state requires all workers to be fully vaccinated, and customers must present proof of vaccination in order to enter bars, restaurants and other businesses.

Australia is facing a spike in coronavirus infections from the Omicron variant. New daily coronavirus cases have skyrocketed from about 1,200 a month ago in December to more than 21,000 cases. Health officials have acknowledged that they are likely to see far more infections but with a lower death rate and with a lower rate of hospitalizations.

"With Omicron, we cannot have hundreds of thousands of Australians and more taken out of circulation based on rules that were set for the Delta variant," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Here's more about the pandemic in Australia:

Rise in COVID cases 'no surprise,' says Australian officialwww.youtube.com

Now they're confiscating alcohol delivered to locked-down Australian apartments if booze volume exceeds state-sanctioned limits



If you've had an inkling that the COVID-19 response in one particular Australian state has taken on an Orwellian hue, then the newest reported wrinkle probably won't shock you.

What now?

In New South Wales — a southeastern state encompassing Sydney — alcohol deliveries to apartments under COVID-19 lockdown are being confiscated if booze volume exceeds limits mandated by the Ministry of Health, news.com.au reported.

The powers that be are enacting daily alcohol limits to "ensure the safety of health staff and residents," the outlet added.

News.com.au said Mission Australia's Common Ground building in Camperdown is the latest building where occupants are subjected to such rules — and it should come as no surprise that they don't like it.

Residents of the social housing development complained that care packages sent to them by friends and relatives have been searched prior to delivery, the outlet said.

"They are searching all bags and things coming into the building," Common Ground resident Robin Elhaj said, according to news.com.au. "They confiscated a series of gifts. So things like bottles of spirits — we weren't allowed to have those, and we still [aren't]."

More from the outlet:

Residents are allowed to receive a ration of one of the following: six beers or pre-mixed drinks, one bottle of wine, or one 375ml bottle of spirits.

Excess alcohol is being confiscated until lockdown rules are lifted.

Residents can consult with a clinician if they think they need more than the allowed limit.

A Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman confirmed the limits are in place in NSW Health's Special Health Accommodation where COVID-positive patients and close contacts are sent for isolation, news.com.au reported.

The outlet said it's unclear how NSW Health can enforce alcohol-delivery limits to those isolating in their own homes as public health orders don't mention alcohol limits.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told news.com.au that officers are not confiscating alcohol delivered to residential buildings and don't have the authority to do so: "In all residential lockdown locations, NSW Police are there to ensure compliance with the Public Health Orders and assist NSW Health if required."

However, a Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman told news.com.au that when NSW Health took control of apartment buildings in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the buildings became subject to alcohol consumption restrictions.

Anything else?

New South Wales has seen a number of controversial measures related to COVID-19:

Australians erupt after PM takes advantage of COVID double standards to see family while millions remain in lockdown: ‘What a disgrace of a leader’



Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing intense backlash from many of his own constituents this week after the leader took advantage of his position to skirt COVID-19 lockdown measures.

What are the details?

Morrison traveled to New South Wales over the weekend in a private jet to visit family on Australian Father's Day even as millions in the country remained in lockdown and were unable to visit out-of-state family members, the New York Times reported.

The prime minister spent time in Sydney before returning to Canberra to partake in a national security meeting, an action which critics immediately labeled as an example of double standards.

Yet instead of owning up to the blunder, Morrison defended the move in an interview published Tuesday, telling Sky News that while he understood people's frustration, his trip did not violate any lockdown rules.

Health authorities reportedly approved Morrison's trip due to his unique role as an "essential worker." Politicians in the country have been permitted to bypass certain public health measures in order to conduct official business.

What has been the reaction?

Though Morrison's trip may have been technically valid, it was certainly not a wise public relations move. After news broke about the trip, Australians took to social media to denounce the prime minister's hypocrisy.

"One rule for all the other dads separated by border closures and one rule for the PM!" wrote one user.

"What a disgrace of a leader," added another.

"True leadership is hard. Sometimes it means putting country before family," wrote Labor MP Andrew Leigh. "Whether it's holidaying in Hawaii during bushfires, visiting UK pubs, or popping interstate on Father's Day, Morrison often struggles to make the sacrifices the job demands."

"Scott Morrison took a private jet to see his kids over father's day while the rest of Australian families suffered through [one] the worst lockdowns on the planet," another commenter jousted, adding, "Top bloke."

Labor opposition MP Bill Shorten criticized Morrison for exercising "appalling judgment."

"It's not that he doesn't deserve to see his kids, but so does every other Australian. And I think when your people are doing it tough, you've got to do it tough too," Shorten said. "You can't have one rule for Mr. Morrison and another rule for everyone else."

What else?

In his interview with Sky News, Morrison called Shorten's criticism a "cheap shot."

"Well, it's a bit of a cheap shot, to be honest. I mean Bill knows full well what these rules are ... in fact he took advantage of them. He went home and spent the last three weeks there rather than being in parliament," the prime minister noted.

It's not clear at this point whether Morrison's lines of defense will prevail. The leader is already in hot water with constituents for allegedly mismanaging the country's vaccine rollout and keeping draconian lockdown measures in place.

Australian premier: We will 'lock out' unvaxxed people from the economy and the health system in our new 'vaccinated economy'



Dan Andrews, the premier of the state of Victoria in Australia, vowed Sunday to "lock out" unvaccinated people from the health system and from the "vaccinated economy."

What's going on?

Elected officials in Australia, which has finely begun to give up on its oft-questioned and criticized "zero COVID" policies, have been trying all sorts of gimmicks to get its population to get vaccinated — including rewarding fully vaccinated subjects with an extra hour of outdoor recreation time.

Officials have also resorted to threats, including arresting anyone caught outside for longer than permitted or for breaking curfew or for daring to go past their 5-kilometer virtual leash.

Now Premier Andrews is saying aloud what many bureaucrats across the West have hinted at for months now: Anyone who does not get vaccinated will not be permitted to be part of the economy or the health system.

On Sunday, Andrews told the media that Victoria would move to "protect" the region's health care system as well as create a "vaccinated economy" and that the state would "lock out" anyone who is unvaccinated, the ABC reported.

"We're going to move to a situation where, to protect the health system, we are going to lock out people who are not vaccinated and can be," Andrews said.

"If you're making the choice not to get vaccinated, then you're making the wrong choice," he continued, adding that, "for safety's sake" during what he said is now a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" as things open up, "it's not going to be safe for people who are not vaccinated to be roaming around the place spreading the virus."

And in case anyone in Victoria had any questions, Andrews made it clear that, if you do not get the jab, you will not get to take part in business.

"There is going to be a vaccinated economy, and you get to participate in that if you are vaccinated," Andrews said.

Noting that such a plan cannot take place now, since there are many people waiting to get vaccinated, the premier warned that when everybody who can get vaxxed has been given a chance to get the shot, then his state was "not going to have a situation ... where we lock the whole place down to protect people who won't protect themselves."

According to the ABC, the government is working on a pilot program to test "the viability of a vaccine economy, where more events, facilities and services are open to people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine."

"The economy, as best it can, will operate as close to normal as possible to people who have had two doses," Andrews added, the ABC said.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews: "We've got everybody lockeddown. We're going to move to a situation where... we're g… https://t.co/ZqhvUpU3JC

— Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) 1630892963.0

These newest threats against the unvaccinated were a step up from Andrews' threats on Friday when he declared that unvaccinated people would be locked out of venues across the state, including pubs and sporting events.

Australia testing 'Orwellian' quarantine app that dispatches police if users don't verify location within 15 minutes



A state in Australia is testing a new app that would help the government track residents to ensure they are obeying COVID-19 quarantine orders.

The government of South Australia has begun a trial of the Home Quarantine SA, an app that The Atlantic calls "as Orwellian as any in the free world."

Australians will download an app on their cellphone that features facial recognition and geolocation. The South Australian government will randomly contact the user to check if they are at their approved quarantine location. Users will have 15 minutes to take a photo of their face. If the quarantining individual fails to reply within 15 minutes, a police officer will be sent to "check" on the person.

"Home Quarantine SA uses geolocation and live face recognition check-ins as a key component of ensuring your safety, as well as the safety of the community," the government of South Australia website states. "The check-ins are on a randomized schedule and confirm that you are at your approved address and ensures you are compliant with your home quarantine direction."

"The app performs several geolocation and live face recognition check-ins at random intervals each day and you will have 15 minutes to respond," the website reads. "If you miss the notification and the phone call, a compliance officer may visit the approved address to check you are safe and compliant with your direction."

"If a person cannot successfully verify their location or identity when requested, SA Health will notify SA Police who will conduct an in-person check on the person in quarantine," the Australian Broadcast Company reported.

"Home Quarantine SA is voluntary at this time," the government notes.

Premier Steven Marshall touted the invasive app, "I think every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app."

Marshall said the pilot program began with about 50 people, but he hoped the trial would be expanded to international travelers in "subsequent weeks."

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald commented on the quarantine app, "No matter your views of COVID, what's happening in Australia is alarming, extreme and dangerous."

Australia already has some of the most stringent lockdowns in the world.

In New South Wales, individuals who break lockdown orders face a maximum penalty of A$11,000 ($7,840), or imprisonment for 6 months, or both, and another A$5,500 ($3,920) penalty "may apply for each day the offense continues."

Last week, the Queensland government announced that it was building a regional COVID-19 quarantine facility that will have 1,000 beds by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

In July, about 300 Australian army personnel were deployed in Sydney to enforce coronavirus lockdown orders, even going door-to-door to ensure COVID-positive Australians are quarantining.

Last month, there were massive protests, which at times became violent, against the draconian COVID-19 lockdowns in the Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney.

Australia to end 'covid zero' policy because it is not 'sustainable'



Following widespread anti-lockdown protests, Australia will end its "covid zero" policy, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison said is not "sustainable" as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads in the nation.

Australia has adopted some of the strictest coronavirus lockdown policies in the world in an attempt to eradicate the coronavirus within its borders. Major Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, and the capital Canberra, were placed under lockdown under a policy that has been characterized as "wildly successful" for keeping COVID-19 deaths under 1,000 since the beginning of the pandemic — at the cost of restricting personal liberties, closing the borders, and preventing more than 30,000 Australians traveling abroad from returning home.

But with the advent of the more contagious Delta variant, the Australian government was forced to change its policy, as "covid zero" is not attainable. Instead, the coronavirus lockdowns will end once 80% of adults in the nation are vaccinated against COVID-19, the Economist reported Saturday. Restrictions would only be reimposed in the case of a hospital threatening to reach full capacity.

Initially, Australia attempted to control spread of the Delta variant by implementing "circuit breakers": A policy of locking down any area of the country where a positive COVID-19 case was detected to stop the spread of the virus "at the beginning."

But in an op-ed published on Aug. 23, Morrison said that the measures needed to make "covid zero" a reality in Australia were "not a sustainable way to live in this country."

"Once you get to 70% of your eligible population being vaccinated, and 80% ... the plan sets out we have to move forward," the prime minister explained in a video address. "Because if not at 70% and 80%, then when? Then when? This cannot go on forever, this is not a sustainable way to live in this country."

The challenge now is for Australia to increase the number of people who are vaccinated. Because the "covid zero" was believed to be a success given the low number of infections and deaths recorded in the country, Australia has lagged behind the United States and Europe in vaccinations. Only 27.4% of the country is fully vaccinated, according to the Guardian, with millions more needing their shots to reach the government's goal of 80% of adults vaccinated. But the government believes it can meet its goal by December.

For now, the country remains in lockdown. Australia reported 1,126 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, mostly in New South Wales, where the Delta variant outbreak is worst.

Australian state grants new 'reward' for fully vaccinated subjects: One extra hour outside your home each day



Outside observers could be forgiven for thinking today's Australians are not citizens of a free nation but instead remain prisoners of a penal colony as the nation's "zero COVID" strategy continues to strip the people of their freedoms.

Take the state of New South Wales (which includes the capital city of Sydney) for instance, where people have been suffering under the lockdowns that have forced people to remain in their houses except for four narrowly defined, state-permitted reasons to exit their residences, as reported by Australia's 9News:

  • shopping for only essential items;
  • care and compassionate reasons — but just one visitor allowed;
  • work or education that can't be conducted remotely; and
  • exercise for one hour in groups no bigger than two and within five kilometers from home.

Naturally, there is a mask mandate everywhere, including outside — except when exercising, though a mask must be carried while exercising.

Plus, there is the curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. that they dare not violate unless they find themselves behind bars.

But the people in power in NSW want their subjects to know that they've got good news: They're "rewarding" fully vaccinated people with one additional hour of outside recreation time.

And the media were happy to characterize the government's move as the "reward" the authorities billed it as — with 9News calling it "a small gift" — while the premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian, patted herself and fellow power holders on the back this week with her announcement that people under her control who have been fully vaccinated will "have additional freedoms" come Sept. 13.

Image source: Twitter/9News video screenshot

"Thank you to the millions of people across NSW who have come forward to get vaccinated. From Monday, 13 September, you will have additional freedoms if you have had both doses," she tweeted, along with a statement highlighting the guidelines on "new freedoms for vaccinated."

Thank you to the millions of people across NSW who have come forward to get vaccinated. From Monday, 13 September,… https://t.co/3SsNWcNNaL

— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) 1629944333.0

On that day in mid-September, the statement said, all NSW folks who have received both doses of the vaccine will be allowed to gather outdoors for an additional one hour — and the government wants people to understand that the graciously granted extra hour of outdoor recreation is "in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise."

● For those who live outside the LGAs [local government areas] of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children) will be allowed in a person's LGA or within 5km of home.

● For those who live in the LGAs of concern, households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.

The statement also teased more "freedoms" to be given to well-behaved, fully vaxxed citizens once they get 70% of people vaccinated, including "a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be lifted."

Deputy Premier John Barilaro praised the move as a "clear pathway forward," and promised that if his people will just obey, then "having a meal with loved ones, or having a drink with friends is just around the corner."

And if Aussies are really good, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, the government is toying with letting them get their hair cut come mid-October.

The highly-anticipated reward for the fully vaccinated in New South Wales is tonight out in the open after Premier… https://t.co/pak5AWFNRS

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) 1629983975.0

Anonymous tipster calls police on Sydney church service. Officials slam worshippers for violating lockdown



Police in Sydney, Australia, broke up a church gathering and handed out the equivalent of more than $25,000 USD in fines to congregants for violating the city's COVID-19 lockdown on Sunday.

An anonymous tipster reported the illegal service to New South Wales police, who found 60 people worshipping at Christ Embassy church in Blacktown at 7:30 p.m. local time, according to 9News Sydney.

The police arrived a few hours before a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew went into effect for this area, which is designated as a high-risk local government area.

A tip to Crime Stoppers has blown the lid on a church service at #Blacktown, attended by 60 adults and children.T… https://t.co/hJqwHUbQ29

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) 1629707218.0

The church service was being livestreamed on social media before police put a stop to it. The 9News report notes that the musicians leading worship were performing without masks.

The church's pastor, Marvin Osaghae, earlier that day delivered a sermon praying for the end of the coronavirus lockdowns in the city.

"In the name of Jesus, we refuse every lockdown in our cities, in the name of Jesus go ahead and pray," he urged his congregation.

"We declare the lockdowns are over, in the name of Jesus, lockdowns are over, in the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, we declare the lockdowns are over," he said. "In the cities of NSW, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Hallelujah Father, we thank you Lord."

Police said that congregants had traveled from across the western portion of the city to attend service.

Thirty adults were each fined a little more than $700 and the church was fined what would be about $3,600 in U.S. dollars for violating the lockdown.

New South Wales officials piled on criticism for the churchgoers.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called people gathering to worship together on Sunday "very disheartening."

"I think that all of us feel the disappointment when people just blatantly ignore what's in place," she said at a news conference. "We know it is hard. And I'm hoping that obviously in the near future, we'll be able to relieve the stress on families and households. But it's always disheartening and disappointing when you see people blatantly take it upon themselves to contradict what we know works."

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said it was "disappointing to say the least" that people gathered to worship God in person.

"We know these events are superspreaders in our communities, and I think that we rely on our leaders, whether it's a business leaders, whether it's a business leader or our premier or our church leaders, to do the right thing, and this is just sending the wrong message in the communities," he said.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott said he was "actually quite stunned" by the illegal gathering.

"I mean, when you consider that churches are there to profess the message of hope and love and to have those people just endanger communities because they are actually potentially going to spread a virus is extraordinary," he told 2GB.

Earlier that weekend, thousands of Australian anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in the streets of Melbourne. An estimated 4,000 people demanded the end of lockdown policies with chants of "Freedom!" and "No more lockdown!"

Rescue dogs shot dead in Australia by council due to coronavirus restrictions sparks outrage: 'Deranged COVID insanity'



A local government in Australia shot and killed rescue dogs because they feared that COVID-19 would spread if people traveled to the shelter to pick them up. The killing of the animals has ignited outrage, and many commenters believe Australia is suffering from coronavirus "hysteria."

The governing body in the Orana region of New South Wales declared that several rescued dogs at a shelter were a health hazard, so the council had the animals shot to death.

The Bourke Shire Council "killed the dogs to prevent volunteers at a Cobar-based animal shelter from traveling to pick up the animals last week, according to the council's watchdog," the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

According to the NSW Health website, there were no recent coronavirus cases in the town of Cobar, but there were fragments of COVID-19 detected in the area's sewage treatment plant.

A spokesperson for the Office of Local Government, which holds the local government sector in Australia accountable for its actions, said, "OLG has been informed that the council decided to take this course of action to protect its employees and community, including vulnerable Aboriginal populations, from the risk of COVID-19 transmission."

"Councils are also encouraged to continue to work with re-homing organizations and volunteers to care for animals, where that can be undertaken consistent with NSW Health advice," the spokesman said.

A source familiar with the animal shelter said the establishment had safe COVID-19 measures in place to handle the dogs during the pandemic.

Lisa Ryan, the coordinator of regional campaigns for the Animal Liberation human rights organization, demanded an investigation, "We are deeply distressed and completely appalled by this callous dog shooting and we totally reject council's unacceptable justifications that this killing was apparently undertaken as part of a COVID- safe plan."

The Sydney Morning Herald contacted the Bourke Shire Council for comment, but reportedly received no response.

The story from Australia quickly spread on social media, sparking outrage and shock.

  • Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald: "Australia is absolutely consumed by deranged COVID insanity. Now they're shooting and killing rescued dogs to prevent shelter volunteers from leaving their homes to go pick them up and care for them. Many Australians seem grateful to be locked down."
  • Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York: "Australia seems to have gone completely insane over Covid."
  • British broadcaster Piers Morgan: "Sorry, WHAT????!!!"
  • The Heritage Foundation social media manager Lyndsey Fifield: "It would be horrific enough if they'd euthanized them by injection but they SHOT DOGS ARE YOU KIDDING ME."
  • British journalist Neil Clark: "What a terrible place Australia is at the moment. A police-state 'public health' dictatorship."
  • PJ Media writer Stacey Lennox: "This is just deranged. Australia is at peak mass hysteria and their leaders are fully demented at this point."
  • British journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy: "The extent to which Australia has turned a COVID advantage into massive, bizarre and tragic mess is astonishing : Rescue dogs shot dead by NSW council due to COVID-19 restrictions."
  • We Are Change writer Luke Rudkowski: "Evil knows no bounds when government and police officers get to do whatever they want!"
  • Foundation for Economic Education content manager Hannah Cox: "Australia had lost its ever-loving mind."
  • Journalist Ian Miles Cheong: "Between shooting rescue dogs dead, slamming peacefully protesting elderly women onto the curb, firing into crowds with rubber bullets and tear gas, and putting out arrest warrants for people with COVID who go outside, Australia has absolutely lost the plot. Dystopian hell state."

There were massive protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in several cities across Australia on Saturday. In Melbourne, the protests became violent at times as anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police. Over 200 were arrested, huge fines were levied, and six police officers were hospitalized during the demonstrations.