Delta Variant Spreading in Australia... Large-Scale Protests Against Lockdown Orders Erupt Nationwide

COVID-19 Lockdown Continues in Melbourne, Australia

(Melbourne EPA=Yonhap News) Amid the COVID-19 lockdown imposed in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, a pedestrian is crossing the sparsely trafficked Swanston Street on the 20th (local time). In Victoria, including Melbourne, the fifth lockdown measure has been in effect since the 15th to block the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
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[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] Large-scale protests against lockdown orders have erupted across Australia, where the COVID-19 Delta variant is spreading, with some participants being arrested.

According to the Associated Press on the 24th, in New South Wales (NSW), led by Sydney, citizens without masks marched from Victoria Park to City Hall holding signs with words such as freedom and truth. Mounted police and riot police were deployed to respond to the unauthorized protest, and some participants were reportedly arrested.

The NSW police stated, "We support the right to peaceful assembly, but this protest violated health authority guidelines," adding, "The police prioritize the safety of the community."

On the same day in Melbourne, Victoria, thousands of protesters without masks took to the streets, shouting slogans like "freedom" to oppose government control measures. Some protesters set fires around the Victoria State Parliament building. Additionally, a car protest was scheduled in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia (SA).

Currently, NSW, Australia's most populous state, has declared a state of emergency due to the spread of the Delta variant. The lockdown, which has been in effect for four weeks since the 26th of last month targeting Sydney and nearby areas, is unlikely to be lifted as planned on the 30th of this month.

Meanwhile, the spread of the Delta variant in NSW has extended to neighboring Victoria and SA, leading to lockdown orders in these two regions as well.