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As someone who has never visited Australia and has never had close long-term relationships with Australian people, it would be easy to argue that I do not sufficiently understand the country to pass judgment on the shocking scenes and reports that have emanated from across the country in the past weeks and months.
Yet as someone who hails from a fellow commonwealth country (the United Kingdom), I do understand Australia well enough to know that what has taken place in this former colonial outpost is neither normal nor acceptable. In fact, the behavior of the Australian government and its security apparatus has openly violated the most fundamental rights of its citizens.
Australia has long been recognized as one of the world’s most stable liberal democracies, operating under a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy with significant devolved powers to its six states and 10 territories.
It is a developed country that has always ranked highly in everything from education to civil liberties, with a U.N. study back in 2015 determining it as the country with the world’s second highest quality of life, ahead of the likes of Switzerland and Denmark surpassed only by Norway.
So what has gone so badly wrong? Australian authorities have weaponized the pandemic as an excuse to create what can only be described as a biosecurity state, even though their motivations for doing so remain unclear. Despite recording just over 1,000 deaths from the pandemic, the severity and length of their lockdowns has shocked observers around the world, with the country more closely resembling an authoritarian state than a liberal democracy.
In some regions, authorities are even creating an Orwellian system of facial recognition and geolocation tracking in order to enforce 14-day quarantines for both domestic and international travel. Predictably, they are planning the introduction of vaccine passports, meaning those unwilling to take the jab will effectively become second-class citizens within their own country. Children as young as five will also be forced to take the vaccine, despite scant evidence there is any benefit to them doing so.
Many Australians are also being prevented from seeing their relatives amid wide-reaching bans on both domestic and international travel. Thousands of people are currently trapped abroad, with no exceptions made even for those with dying family members. Then there is the incalculable damage of the country’s economy, with the lower classes predictably being hit the hardest. This all at the behest of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a man who somehow has the gall to call himself the leader of the “Liberal Party of Australia.”
Meanwhile, protests have been met with brute force by security forces, the majority of whom seem oblivious to any notion that their response may be heavy-handed. On Saturday, police arrested another 270 people following another day of nationwide anti-lockdown demonstrations, with shocking images of violence circulating across social media.
This all in a week when the Australian government announced a partnership with both the U.S. and the U.K. in a strategic pact aimed at curbing the growing threat of Chinese communism. Although such a move is undoubtedly commendable, it is somewhat ironic given that in China, where life has largely returned to normal, the Chinese people currently have more freedom than their Australian counterparts.
Australia is meant to be one of the leaders of the free world and must therefore be held to even higher standards than countries with a history of despotism. Whether this comes in the form of boycotts, diplomatic warnings, or even targeted sanctions against the responsible officials, a very simple point must be made; the free world will not stand by in silence as the human rights of the Australian people are so aggressively undermined.
Ben Kew is English Editor of El American. He studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol where he developed a passion for the Americas and anti-communist movements. He previously worked as a national security correspondent for Breitbart News. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post, and The Independent
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Ben Kew es editor en inglés de El American. Estudió política y lenguas modernas en la Universidad de Bristol, donde desarrolló una pasión por las Américas y los movimientos anticomunistas. Anteriormente trabajó como corresponsal de seguridad nacional para Breitbart News. También ha escrito para The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post y The Independent.
America should cut all ties
No. America should step in and sanction what is happening.
Que pena por ese pais
Sounds like something we’ll possibly be seeing in the future U.S. under the Biden administration. Biden’s vaccine mandates risks tearing America apart. His reckless plan could lead to mass civil disobedience and a further breakdown of civil society. That’s what the Globalist want.
SEEK JESUS
Not our problem. They chose to vote for these idiots. They chose to give up their guns. They’ve been making poor choices for a while now. Why should they be spared the results of their own choices? They still have elections, right? Then they can fix their own problems.
We didn’t choose – elections are always a lie- the powers that be put in whichever Freemason they want to use to fulfill their evil agenda…. Unfortunately too many Australians watch tv and are so brainwashed that they can’t see this sick evil agenda for what it is
Spot on!!!
In this country the liberal party are the conservatives. The labour party and Greens party are the left and then there are the independents. It matters not who you vote for you get the same thing. Our sitting MPs do closed door deals with independent MPs that the people are not privi to. Our main parties legislated our Constitution out of law in 60s without a vote from the people ( unlawful) and voted in the Australian Constition Act ( unlawful) and that deception was put forward by the left and action by the conservatives. But the people didn’t realise. But now many do but it’s to late. Please do say we the people can fix this problem with vote. The parties know that what they did was treason. They know that the mass can never find out. We will only get our freedom back by violent revolution. If you don’t know these things thing do not share your ignorant views. God help the people of this country
Not all of us have been making poor choices. I personally didn’t choose to give up our guns. In fact, I don’t know anyone who voted for that. But it got done somehow, suspiciously on the back of the Port Arthur massacre. Unfortunately it would seem our two preferred parties are both now corrupt, and are virtually in lockstep. They do deals in private, and put bills through behind closed doors. Utterly disgusting. Melbourne is a nightmare. If I could move to Russia I would.
This is what happens to a society without guns.
They complain about the Chinese but are all took quick to learn tactics from them. They are authoritarians. The people of Australia are saying no, this is not how we want to deal with this situation, and the government is saying you have no say in this, obey or else. That is not how a democratic society is run. When the people reject the measures you have taken, you must adjust course. Otherwise, dont be surprised when the people are camped outside your residence, ready to inflict upon you what you have done to the public, and deservedly so.
It’s a test run for other countries, plain and simple. The only difference is that the US has it’s guns. Thanks to the BLM/Portland riots and the Australian tyranny, US citizens will never, ever, give up their guns. We already knew what the outcome would be, and now we have hard proof.
Health and police are controlled by the states in the Australian Federation, the Governors of NSW and Victoria.
Scott Morrison hasn’t got much to do with this imho.
G’day
I’ve read the article and I thought perhaps a little context might help 🙂
Australia is a federation.
It consists of 6 states and 11 territories. Of these, 4 states and 10 territories are largely restrictions-free.
It is true, however, that there are currently very heavy restrictions in the remaining two; Victoria and NSW. These are only two (albeit by far the most populous) states of the federation. These restrictions have come into place due to the current Delta wave in those two states. Prior to that, NSW was also largely restrictions-free, as contrasted to Victoria, which has had stringent on-and-off restrictions over the last 18 months.
Scott Morrison is the federal Prime Minister. In terms of his place in the system, you can compare him to the US President. He is as responsible for the situation in NSW in Victoria as Trump was for restrictions in Cuomo’s New York. In other words, basically not at all. He IS the leader of the Liberal Party. But in Australia, that does not mean the same thing as the name would suggest. The Liberal Party is the Conservative party in Australia (as opposed to Labor which is the Left). And Scott Morrison has repeatedly expressed views that support re-opening and that oppose stringent restrictions. Morrison’s biggest fault in this pandemic has been his government’s complete failure to conduct an effective vaccination rollout. The administration has failed miserably on that front. And that was the one job they had to do. They’ve also kept the OUTSIDE borders closed (ie, you can’t travel in and out of Australia, which is controversial) but not the INTERNAL borders. Those have been mostly open, with exceptions of states that have outbreaks. And, again, that is the responsibility of the states (various governments of both Left and Right orientation).
All in all, Australia has managed to remain open (internally; its external borders were consistently closed) and relatively unaffected by the pandemic, while most of the pandemic, with Victoria (a single state, ruled by the Left, the opposing party to Scott Morrison’s) being the one notable exception. Australia has also managed so far to have the second lowest ‘Covid deaths per population’ ratio in all of OECD (beaten only by New Zealand). The currently active Delta outbreak might change that but that yet remains to be seen.
Just a little perspective.
Facts matter 🙂
All the best
Martin
Australian Lawyer
I have issue with your statement “Morrison’s biggest fault in this pandemic has been his government’s complete failure to conduct an effective vaccination rollout”. Are you suggesting getting the vaccine would have been the panacea?
Yes, Guy s. VERY good question! The so called “vaccine” actually generates disease in the recipients!
Ben Kew clearly know nothing about Australia or Australian politics at all. His headlne shows how ignorant he is: “The government of Scott Morrison must be made to pay for such flagrant human rights violation”. The lockdowns and police agggression has nothing to do with the Morrison government. These are the actions of State Labor Governments (the Australian equivalents of the US Democrats) who have shut down the country and closed the State borders and weaponised the police. He needs to het his facts straight before posting his ignorant views.
Exactly right! Ben Kew clearly know nothing about Australia or Australian politics at all. His headlne shows how ignorant he is: “The government of Scott Morrison must be made to pay for such flagrant human rights violation”. The lockdowns and police agggression has nothing to do with the Morrison government. These are the actions of State Labor Governments (the Australian equivalents of the US Democrats) who have shut down the country and closed the State borders and weaponised the police. He needs to get his facts straight before posting his ignorant views.
What a great article you have written Ben!
I totally agree with you!
There should be sanctions against us.
Yes, I’m Australian. In fact I’m an ex-military Australian. I was proud to serve my country and put on my uniform.
Now, I am forced to think that all those that served and died in WW1, WW2 and other wars the ANZACs stood side by side with English, American, and all countries against world tyranny, all those that gave us our freedoms. The politicians and the police they control are now spitting on the graves of those that died to give us our freedoms.
To all: if you have relatives that served in world wars, please let that sink in, yes, the politicians are spitting on the graves of your fallen. If you are disgusted by that, and I think you would be. Then please write to your political representatives and support sanctions against Australia.
You might ask, why would I a proud ex-military Australian want the world to sanction my country? Well, simply put, I am doing what I can to bring these discussions to the knowledge of my elected politicians. I sure would like a bit of help from the outside if you can. If you also need some help from me to raise awareness of your issues to my politicians, please let me know!
As long as we do it lawfully and through the proper channels, I certainly don’t want to stoop to their violent level! Heck no!
I have made it known to my political landscape that politicians are a renewable resource!
It makes me think of that song from Les Misérables, ”Do you hear the people sing”, forgive me for pasting the YouTube link!
https://youtu.be/1q82twrdr0U
If you don’t know, in that situation the army comes in to “deal” with the rebels. So again let me stress, that I only advocate the peaceful options. Only peaceful.
When you watch that clip, it only takes that 1% of people to move out from the crowd and wave the flag! Then the next 10% follows. The next 40% follows them.
So if you want to see results, will you buy a flag from your own country. Look at it closely, look at what it represents. Then write to your politicians! Will you stand with ME! Stand shoulder to shoulder with me and let’s make our voices heard! Let the politicians offices be flooded with letters! Let them know of the consequences of not representing you!
United we stand! We stand together forever! We stand for our futures, and we stand most of all for the futures of our children!
Thank you Ben for writing your article!
Much love and peace 👍
RWNJ echo chamber. You’re a fuckwit like so many other commentators on this pathetic drivel media site.
I’m with ya Graham……and in Melbourne. So proud of the 1% on day one that took to the streets…you set an amazing example for the rest !! we had em bamboozled!! ..all becos we did it peacefully….they put up a wall…we walked around it….they came toward us….we changed direction!!!..they chased us, we ran away….we thought the Shrine of Remembrance would stop this bastardry by the corporate government….the actions of the police at the Shrine on the orders of Mr Andrews showed the Victorian people exactly who the government works for and it aint us!!!… and Ben what a great article…yes we need support from journo’s like you…..th …and Scomo …”Do you really think you can tie my kangaroo down mate?”…we need liberal and labour thrown out NOW!!
There is some fantastic political parties that are great alternatives
Thank you Graham for those words. Spot on.
A great article? Rubbsih! Ben Kew clearly know nothing about Australia or Australian politics at all. His headlne shows how ignorant he is: “The government of Scott Morrison must be made to pay for such flagrant human rights violation”. The lockdowns and police agggression has nothing to do with the Morrison government. These are the actions of State Labor Governments (the Australian equivalents of the US Democrats) who have shut down the country and closed the State borders and weaponised the police. He needs to get his facts straight before posting his ignorant views.
Thank you for drawing attention the deteriorating, discriminatory and deadly situation that has been engineered against Australian citizens. SOS
Thank you for your support in raising international awareness of the tyranny being thrust upon the Australian people.
As an Australian Christian, I am stunned by the depth of deception within the government and media, and deeply saddened by the deathly silence from the churches.
Any attempts by governments worldwide to close church doors and to insist the church (body of believers) are not frontline workers in this or any other disaster is sadly ignorant of what the church on this earth is for – the church leadership across Australia and most other countries around the world just quietly complied!!!
Where, over the past 18 months (a period of unprecedented fear within the general community), was the church’s response? Where was their obedience to the Great Commission and proclaiming eternal hope in a hopeless world?
I praise the Lord for raising-up and using some Christians in small groups and as individuals plus some isolated churches and mission organisations that continued to spread the Gospel and it practical influence, during this sad period of human history.
Unfortunately, many will have to give an account to God for their disobedience and inaction.
Sounds like a devils force of the people to be paid back with the schematics of a nuclear sub. What evils possess biden.
Not sure how to respond to the SOS. Your actors out of touch. Your ministers silent. You broke thru to rhe side of evil in your liberal madness to demonstrate compassion got taken for being soft. Have ypu turned ypur back on God entirely? Police trained by the ccp? How do we help? Get your artists out from there cowardness and rock on, it takes the masses and no cowards to out do the ccp trained native police force. Riot
Get your facts right!
It’s the state governments locking down everything and causing uncertainty.
The Federal government under Scott Morrison wants to end the lockdown but doesn’t have the power to interfere with the states
I would agree with you Alan. Except that Scott Morrison has agreed he will mandate vaccines as much as possible. Now, the reality is if your vaccine works, you don’t need me to take a vaccine to make yours work. That is the science, and the reality. He is not there. Add to that the utter corrpution of our TGA (same as FDA in U.S.) who are bannig alternative medicines, that actually work. Meanwhile in 2021 the vaccine has resulted in nearly double the deaths than deaths with Covid. We have not had a death from flu since July 2020. This is all public information for anyone who wants to look. It is beyond any belief that Scott Morrison does not know what is happening. And yet he does nothing, no recommendation. Nothing. Reality is, he is letting the premiers do his dirty work. All he cares about is getting voted back in, and pretty sure he thinks this is the deal that will get it done.
Craig Kelly from United Australia Party is one of the only honest politicians in the land. Unfortunately, with what is happening, I am afraid any election will be rigged. Look what happened in the U.S. in front of the world.
THANK YOU Ben Kew. You are seeing this clearly and correctly. Your article is greatly appreciated. We, the Australian people, need help.
Australia is a federation of six state and two territories. Each state and territory employs all the police in that state or territory. Please note: the only police force under federal control is the Australian Federal Police (AFP) which also is the police force in the Australian Capital Territory, our version of DC. All other police forces are controlled (uncontrolled?) by the states etc. By far the most violent examples of excessive force, by police, has occurred in Victoria. This state has a socialist (Labor=”progressive”) government which is enjoying a dream run in power. The opposing political parties are weak and nowhere to be seen. Not too surprising when you consider the abandonment of the “middle -right” ground by our so-called conservative parties.
The Victorian Premier (sort of like a US state Governor) is one Daniel Andrews, better known as “Chairman Dan” given his affinity with the CCP. Chairman Dan had a serious accident in March when he “fell” down a staircase and suffered several fractured ribs and damaged spine. Rumours erupted as to how and why he “fell” and received such serious injuries. One observer was quoted as describing his injuries as being consistent with been “given a good kicking”. Who knows?
What is known is that the Victorian Labor Party is indebted to the trade unions which provide cash and muscle to Dan and his band of merry men and women. Cash to finance election campaigns, muscle to scare any opposing factions or opposition parties. Research the history of the CMFEU and it’s earlier version, the BLF ( Builders labourer’s Federation) . This mob was led by one Norm Gallagher, a fat illiterate bully who somehow managed to pay for a coastal holiday home on his meagre union wage. Dacha on the Black Sea, anyone?
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/07/backdrop-to-awu-workplace-reform-association-norm-gallaghers-trial-conviction-and-jailing-for-secret.html
To this end we yesterday witnessed members of the main (only) construction industry union, the CMEFU, railing against their leader (John Sekta) who stupidly referred to his members as being “extremist” right wingers. This, he did on a live radio broadcast while CFMEU members waited patiently outside the union’s head office awaiting his presence to lead his union members in a march to parliament house.
When news of Setka’s betrayal reached the union crowd, all hell broke loose.
The actions of the Victorian state government are beyond the reach of the Federal, Commonwealth, Parliament-or so it seems.
The overriding question in all this is: can the black-shirted Victorian Police legally obey commands from the state government which are against the letter and essence of our Constitution? In Australia, when there is conflict between state and federal laws, the federal law shall be dominate.
Not so it seems.
While our PM is visiting Biden to shore up the new US-UK -AUS relationship and no doubt being duchessed by Washington, the situation back in Australia will continue on it’s dysfunctional course.
There will be a reckoning.
Political and bureaucratic heads will roll.
Very well said David.
I live in Australia. You can take this incident out of context, and the media are very very good at doing that for their own needs. I too am frustrated with Covid restrictions, I hate wearing a mask. But you can point the finger at every country, pick an incident, or a law (and the USA has plenty of those to choose from) eg the recent abortion laws in Texas made,no doubt, by pious cowboys, but I digress. These same people protesting don’t get vaccinated, they don’t wear masks to stop their germs getting on others, they spit at Police (I can only imagine how angry I’d be if some bozo did that to me) and have no regard for the law. 74 or not, let’s hear the other side of the story, this woman would have been no angel I’m sure, and age does not excuse anyone from behaving civilly. The UK and the USA made a balls of containing Covid, as they say, people in glass houses…
Exactly. Facts in this article are little to none. These protestors were 40% tradesmen and the rest were hijacked by right wing anti anti vaxxers and anti lockdown groups. Unfortunately the list of covid exposure sites included construction sites and this was the reason the government had to temporarily shut the industry for a couple of weeks whilst they got on top of the spread of the virus. Age group were 25-40 and male and were only looking for a fight, probably taking inspiration from January 6th. Children were brought into the protests which was abhorrent. Hardly any of them wore masks and were at risk to the community. Not a very credible source of news for someone who’s never been to Australia.
Actually the article is extremely accurate. Virtually none of your comment was accurate however. Were you at the protest? Didn’t think so. How on earth can you comment at all.
For Karen not wanting other peoples ‘germs’ on them. The first thing I would recommend would be to stay home. If you are not well, or too fearful, or too paranoid to join in public life, then don’t come out. If you have had the vaccination, as I am so sure you have rushed out to do, then it should be protecting you. It is not up to society to keep you safe, from a disease, any more than from crossing the road. That is your job. But please, read and understand the science. Covid 19 has a fatality rate the same as the seasonal flu. This is not a controversial point. It is a fact acknowledged the world over. That some people are hysterical over a disease with such a low 0.3% fatality rate is astounding, and is really not the fault of anyone else.
The masks will not stop coVid and you are the reason Australia is getting more and more like China. There is no excuse, assaulting a 74 year old woman you condone that. When someone throws you to the ground and coats you in pepper spray using excessive Force equal to being bashed with a baton you’ll get what you deserve.
Unfortunately, the other feckless leaders of the West have no interest in helping. The US is a nightmare, the UK leader has been exposed as a liberal and Canada is saddled with the Blackfaced Kokanee Groper with the Technicolor Dream Socks. Again. Sadly, you’re on your own Australia.
Thank you for saying something
I understand your concern, but there is not that much we can do (I live in the US). If there are ways that the US can encourage Australia to rethink these policies in a friendly way then by all means we should do them. However, the US itself is also heading in the direction of fewer freedoms. In any case though, for the most part, Australians will have to find a way to free themselves.
Australia is test case for what’s coming to USA. The UN is run by the ex president of Socialist International. Australia has ceded soverienty to UN via many treaties. This is an implementation of ID2020.
As an Australian caught up in the Pandemic, some of the reports you are receiving are definitely supplied by people at severe odds with the response of the various governments. Unlike the UK Australia does not have just one government, but six state governments, and two territorial governments as well as the Commonwealth government. Each of those governments have control over their internal affairs. Each governments has responded to this pandemic in it’s own interest and methodology. The protest in Melbourne you reported on was carried out by a collection of groups that were not responding in the interest of freedom, but of bloody mindedness and a total lack of responsibility. They were informed prior to their ‘Protest’, not to proceed with it, as it was against the law and likely to cause a super-spreader event as most of those involved were not vaccinated when there is delta strain of Covid-19 in the community and that would keep the lockdown in place longer to the disadvantage of the greater majority of citizens who are conscious of the need to limit the spread and are supportive of the Victorian Governments handling of the pandemic. The fact that the police only arrested 270 of the thousands protesting is not going far enough. There is no excuse for these idiots to put at risk the safety and livelyhood of the millions who have been trying to do the right thing so that they can get back to some degree of normalcy. If you take the present outbreak in Sydney that has infected thousands and resulted in the deaths of hundreds and has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, it started with a single person not vaccinated and who should have been, that was transporting an airline crew to their hotel. If you have a complaint with the Commonwealth Government it would be that they were slow to arrange for vaccines when they were offered them during mid 2020. This has led to the extended lockdown periods, coupled with the onset of the delta variant which exacerbated the difficulties. The NSW government was slow to impose a city wide lockdown as there was insufficient detail concerning the transmissibility of the delta variant and this led to an extended period of lockdown that is now over 3 months. Be careful not to just get information from those who wish to create dissent. I am not a supporter of the present Commonwealth or the NSW governments, but just wish to give an ordinary citizens opinion on the necessity of the lockdowns of which I am in the middle of and hope to have them end as soon as possible.
The Vaccine doesn’t stop CoVid transmissions good luck with youR misinformed attitude.
help us please, something is not right
As I understand it Australia is 118th on the list of deaths per million
So I reckon we are in a very good position and what pain we have to endure is well worth it
Thank you Ben.
What was it those canny old Arabs Springers used to shout?
Oh yes, “The People want the fall of this régime!”
Another inspiring one which pops to mind is “Get it on, guillotines at dawn!”
So come on, Ozzies, let your watchword be “Régime-change begins at home, Motherfuckers!” as you rise in relentless anger to overthrow these filthy jumped-up little tyrants, namely Morrison and “Queen” Elizabeth Windsor (a.k.a. Shirker Bee, the Parasite-in-Chief).
Onwards to Victory in the Bogan Revolution!
Yep too many commys in Australia. Don’t trust owe government with nuclear subs our government will lease them to China at a loss like our sea ports and air Ports.
Australia is not ok, the state of Victoria is not ok, the city of Melbourne is not ok.
The state and federal governments of Australia have used language and propaganda to convince the populace that Covid-19 is the biggest threat to their way of life. Vaccines are not mandatory at a federal level, government websites state that vaccination for Covid-19 is “free and voluntary”. Despite this, the state of Victoria and its megalomaniac leader Dan Andrews, has started to issue state mandates for certain industries such as construction, not the police, not public servants, not politicians. Dissenting voices are being crushed, much of our corporate media is surviving on the advertising revenue from government Covid propaganda, the MSM dare not speak out. A woman was kept in prison for 22 days for her views expressed Facebook. Arrests of citizens have been made using anti-terror laws. The unvaccinated have been called a health hazard by Scott Morrison(the Prime Minister) and a danger to themselves and others by Dan Andrews. Playgrounds were shut, no scientific advice was given for this decision…turns out it was to punish parents who were congregating at the playgrounds to socialise. We are forbidden to take our masks off to eat and drink outside. We can move only 10km from our homes, need special permits to go to work and can not leave home between 9pm and 5am. The Victorian Government tried to shut off the air space above the city of Melbourne so news helicopters could not film. Stinger grenades, flat bang grenades, tear gas, armoured vehicles and rapid fire “non-lethal” guns have been used on the citizens and the media.
If we carry on this way people will get hurt, if we carry on this way people turn on each other. The end goal of these government actions is unclear, this is a sick country run by weak scared men. They have not faced the challenge of dealing with a health crisis. Instead they ran away, shut the boarders, abused their own people and made pariahs of those who made the choice not to get vaccinated.
I would appreciate and welcome contact from the author of this piece.
Australia is not ok.
I am disgusted by the behaviour of the Australian police force against Australian Citizens whom they have sworn to protect!
The organisations who condone this behaviour should be held answerable to the Australian people for the crimes they have perpetrated illegally on many Australian citizens.
Maybe you should visit one day Ben, simply because you come from England does not mean you know the culture of Australians.
Actually, Australia is okay. What you have shown is an unfortunate example of a protester being taken down and sprayed. It’s unfortunate, but what you have neglected to include is the violence and abuse perpetrated against the police force who are simply doing their duty. Yes, we are locked down, have been for on and off for over a year. Up until the Delta variant we had this thing pretty well countered but with Delta it became an entirely different game. We have one of the world’s best healthcare systems, but it is not geared for surge events, such as we have seen happen in other countries such as the UK or the US, where collectively over 835,000 have died and millions will have post Covid health issues. That won’t be fun for them, business nor their economies. Deaths down under have been limited to less than 1,200 because of an understanding of what Covid is and what it can do, if we just let rip. Action by the vast majority.
We place great value on life, and freedom. What you are reporting on is a very, very small number of people who are angry, well we all are, but they chose to head out under the pretense of freedom fighters. They are not freedom fighters, there are some who believe they need to protest and vent, and then there is a far right movement driving this, along with highly charged men out looking for a scrap.
GREAT COMMENT FOR A COMMY LEFTY. SAME MENTALITY HOPEFULLY NOT INVOLVED IN NUCLEAR SUBS. AMERICA PLEASE DON’T TRUST THIS MENTALITY WITH NUCLEAR SUBS.
Thank you for your concern sir. Australia has plunged into a tyrannical abyss. Our most basic natural rights are being severely infringed by a cabal of ignorant and dangerous vaxinist fake science fanatics who have lawlessly arrogated unlimited powers to themselves under emergency directives that cite a virus of highly selective virulence which, 18 months in, can hardly still be catching anybody off guard. All of our institutions have failed us, and we are at the mercy of these ruthless jackals. Although most of my compatriots have, sadly, drunk the Kool-Aid, the rest of us, especially the unvaccinated, are undeserving victims, and would be greatly appreciative of any assistance which our rights-respecting and liberty-loving friends across the Pacific could render.
This is is in the state of Victoria. The Premier of the state Dan Andrews is controlling the people. Curfews, travel limits of 240 days. The rest of Australia is OK. I live in NSW and nothing like that here
Thank you Ben for the great article and raising awareness of our plight.
This article and many of the comments show a lot of ignorance. There is no widespread abuse of human rights in Australia. This was a protest in one state, Victoria, and the police force involved are the state police, not the Australian Federal Police, not the Australian government.
Most Australians are doing pretty well, compared to the catastrophes due to COVID in countries like the author of this article, and of the USA.
Ben Kew
You obviously know nothing about Australia or Australian politics at all. Your headlne shows how ignorant you are: “The government of Scott Morrison must be made to pay for such flagrant human rights violation”. The lockdowns and police agggression has nothing to do with the Morrison government. These are the actions of State Labor Governments (the Australian equivalents of the US Democrats) who have shut down the country and closed the State borders and weaponised the police. Get you facts straight before posting your igmorant views.
Ben,
There is an important line of investigation and questioning that should be followed by US Senators and Reporters: “To what degree are American Companies complicit with what is occurring in Australia”.
I work for an American Company in the state of Victoria. The Victorian Parliament has not sat since March 2021. The entire state is being operated under emergency powers. The company I work for has said NOTHING about what is going on, all they have done is offer up full cooperation with a Government that is a full fledged dictatorship.
On Friday 1st of October, the Government announced that all workers must be vaccinated by 15 October with their first shot. I immediately sent a letter to my manager stating that I was refusing to be vaccinated. I was called by HR today and they advised me that the would be following this “law”, despite it being executed under emergency powers and despite it being in direct conflict with the Victorian Human Rights Charter 1996.
Basically they will not follow The Law, but the law that Government tells them to.
Paul Chaplin, you are a traitor and a liar.
Yes, but you have it all wrong. The Prime Minister is not to be blamed for this situation you refer to. Let’s get it straight, there is NO Australia, but their is the Commonwealth of Australia, with was established out of an agreement by the States to Federate where the States gave some of their Colonial powers to the Commonwealth. Public a health Orders and policing of such are the responsibility of the Premiers of each State and the Prime Minister has no control over State Police nor State Public Health Orders. Each State is ruled like a mini independent Kingdom and no State can tell another State what to do. Each State has a Governor who represents the UK Monarch and no law can be passed without Royal Consent … approval of the Governor aka Queen Elizabeth! It’s only the State of Victoria where we see a Premier locking down people most unreasonably. They have revolted and the State Premier controls his State Police Force … these are NOT members of the Commonwealth of Australia Federal Police Force!
So don’t try and blame The Prime Minister of Austrlaia for this unacceptable outcome. Blame the State of Victoria under the control of Chairman Dan, Premier of Victoria.
NB. The Commonwealth never gave powers to the State, if was the Independent Colonies who gave limited powers to the Commonwealth.
I am with Peter M. I live in Sydney, NSW. This is just in Victoria.Dan Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, is the issue. He has tried to make Victoria another state of China as well. The man is a narcissist.