Protesters break COVID-19 restrictions as they gather in Melbourne to observe a minute's silence for fallen soldiers despite lockdown
- Thirty people broke Melbourne's lockdown to meet at Remembrance Day Shrine
- During the gathering they held up flags and held a minute of silence for soldiers
- However Victoria Police were quick to break up the event on Friday morning
- Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews slammed anyone attending protests
A group of 30 people gathered at dawn to observe a minute's silence for soldiers in Melbourne in breach of the state's coronavirus restraictions
Video footage showed a gathering of people - some of whom were not in masks - outside Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance just before 7am on Friday.
Some of the protesters held up Australian Red Ensign flags as one member of the group requested gathering go ahead 'under the kingdom of Australia', according to Seven News.
The group responded to the man: 'Lest we forget.'
Video footage showed a gathering of people - some of whom were not in masks - outside Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance just before 7am on Friday
The Australian Red Ensign was created during the 1901 Federation flag competition and has been the flag of Merchant Naval Shipping ever since
The Australian Red Ensign was created during the 1901 Federation flag competition and has been the flag of Merchant Naval Shipping ever since.
Victoria Police were quick to break up the gathering and asked people to move on before they were penalised.
One officer said: 'We are from Victoria Police. What I see here is an illegal gathering under the health code directions.
'Those people with the flags, I am asking you to move on as soon as possible. That will be in the next two to three minutes.
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'I don't see any lawful reason for you to be here.'
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia: 'The group dispersed immediately following directions from attending police, as the event was non-compliant with the Chief Health Officer’s directives.
'Police will investigate the events of this morning’s demonstration and plan to issue fines to individuals who were identified.
'We will also continue to investigate to identify other individuals who were in attendance, and we will consider enforcement options.'
However Victoria Police were quick to break up the illegal gathering and asked people to move on before they were penalised
The spokeswoman said police will be in the area throughout the day to ensure the Chief Health Officer’s directions are complied with.
A photoshopped picture of the shrine with the date July 31, 2020, superimposed on the top circulated on social media earlier this week, urging people to pay tribute to the soldiers in spite of Victoria's strict lockdown orders.
One of the group's supporters shared the event and poster on her social media channels, urging her friends to gather on Friday.
'If you attend ANZAC 25th April usually, then there should be no difference on this date as they removed our rights to attend our shrines for ANZAC this year due their fake COVID lockdown,' the woman said in the caption of the post.
In the same caption, the woman referenced a series of historic treaties and policies while strangely insisting people are not 'citizens'.
'Standing out from under their Ship, off their Sea and onto our own lands again gives you Loyal Subject rights once again,' she wrote.
The woman told people not to call themselves citizens, arguing that anyone who declared citizenship after World War Two was immediately placed under 'their control'.
A photoshopped picture of a shrine with the date 31st July, 2020 superimposed on top is circulating on social media and among anti-mask communities, urging people to pay tribute to the soldiers in spite of Victoria's strict lockdown orders
An event is scheduled at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance on Friday, organised by the Church of United Kingdom of Australia group
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews slammed people who break the restrictions by protesting, gathering in public or not wearing a mask.
'Well, I've got a very clear message for anybody who wants to go to that protest or any other protest: Don't do it,' he said during a press conference on Thursday.
'The only thing we should be protesting against, or fighting against, is this virus.
Stay at home means stay at home. It's not one of the lawful reasons to leave your home.'
Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic with the loss of 13 more lives and a high of 723 new case in Victoria on Thursday, pushing the national death toll to 189. Of the latest casualties 10 were linked to nursing homes.
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