Protesters in Melbourne have taken their opposition to new pandemic legislation to a new extreme by cheering and chanting around a gallows.
Protesters have stooped to a new low in their rowdy opposition to Victoria’s proposed new pandemic legislation, taking to the streets with makeshift gallows and nooses.
There were several disturbing scenes Monday evening in Melbourne, where thousands of people marched in protest of the laws, set to replace state-of-emergency powers due to expire on December 15.
New laws would give Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Martin Foley unprecedented powers – a matter that sparked upset from the public and legal experts.
It was revealed on Tuesday the Andrews Government has however agreed to make a number of amendments following aggressive backlash to the potential new rules.
Foul scenes in the city
Social media was awash with scenes from Melbourne Monday night, including video of protesters surrounding a makeshift gallows being towed behind a 4WD on Spring Street.
A wooden cross frame with the word, “treason” painted onto it, hung from the gallows as people cheered and yelled “freedom”, a video uploaded to Twitter showed.
At one point, someone put an inflated Dan Andrews doll with the words, “punching bag Dan” on its front, onto the gallows.
A huge crowd of unmasked onlookers filmed as the disturbing scene unfolded before the trailer was eventually driven away.
The scene was described as “sick and scary” by MP Andrew Giles, who took to Twitter condemning the “violent, threatening right wing extremism”.
“Another gallows on Melbourne’s streets – outside parliament, with a representation of the Premier. This is sick, and scary. This violent, threatening right wing extremism can’t become a new normal: it must be called out, and stopped. By everyone who cares about our democracy,” he wrote.
Someone also shared a photo of the gallows to Facebook writing, “there’s one of these out there with your name on it Dan Andrews. It might even be this one”.
Another gallows was spotted at the protest over the weekend with several nooses attached.
It came as Animal Justice MP Andy Meddick described protesters as “noose-wielding maniacs” and accused Opposition Leader Matthew Guy of “legitimising” them.
Tens of thousands of people crowded into the over the weekend in protest of the proposed bill, with a large group opting to camp outside parliament Monday night.
The protest, dubbed Rise Up, was on Saturday larger than preceding anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine rallies, with attendance estimated to be more than 100,000.
The protests, which coincided with the vaccination mandate being made official in Victoria for all construction workers, saw children holding signs that read “Sack Dan Andrews” and speeches from controversial figures including MP Craig Kelly.
Originally published as Melbourne protest: Gallows spotted at ‘kill the bill’ rally
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