Thousands join Perth anti-lockdown protest demanding ‘freedom’ in march from Forrest Place

About 2000 West Australians have joined anti-lockdown protests around the country, depicting Premier Mark McGowan as Adolf Hitler in a march through the CBD.

While WA is enjoying few restrictions at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, that hasn’t stopped the angry group of activists demanding their “freedom” at Forrest Chase this afternoon.

Anti-vaxxers have been seen holding placards calling for an end to mandatory vaccination policies being enforced by some of the country’s biggest businesses and calling for the State’s borders to be opened.

There was a heavy police presence in the city for the event, which, in contrast to violent scenes in Melbourne, appeared to be peaceful.

Children walked alongside their parents, some in prams, and one young boy held a placard with the words: “You can stick you poison vaccine up your” with an arrow pointing towards Bart Simpson’s bare buttocks.

Other placards said: “Vaccine mandates violate human rights” and “the final COVID variant is called communism”.

While another read: “You cannot comply your way out of tyranny.”

“Our basic rights have been taken away,” one protestor, named Patricia said.

“Everything that is happening about the medical apartheid is totally unlawful, it’s crimes against humanity, it’s going to force people to do something that they don’t believe in.

“Everything about it is wrong.”

Several vegan protestors, pictured below, held a silent demonstration in the Murray Street mall this afternoon, coinciding with the lockdown protest.

Meanwhile, anti-lockdown protester Patricia went on to allege that the media was only “presenting one point of view” when there were thousands of doctors and researchers around the world who were “trying to get the truth out there”.

Asked why she thought so many people had joined the protest, she said: “I think there’s many, many reasons — it’s the corruption in the Government, it’s the lying in the media, only allowing one point of view to be told, and it’s time for a whole lot more truth in the community.”

Several protestors refused to explain their decision to be involved in the march because they “don’t trust the media”.

After marching through the CBD, thousands began gathering at Forrest Chase to John Farnham’s You’re the Voice.

Thousands chanted “freedom”, do not comply” and “shame Mark McGowan”.

Among the speakers who addressed the crowd were women who claimed they were nurses.

“What’s happening to us at the moment, as healthcare workers ... they have been restricted, we’ve got a directive by October 1, we cannot step into our workplace anymore if we refuse to take the vaccine,” one nurse said, which was met with “boo’s” and chants of “shame”.

Another nurse, who took the stage said she had been registered for more than 50 years, and said she worked on the COVID-19 respiratory ward.

“We have known from the very beginning of this campaign that it was a campaign of fear,” she said.

She said she had also been told to have the first dose of a vaccine by October 1 but would refuse.

The nurse warned that the health care system was already “in chaos” and wondered what would happen when vaccination become mandatory.

“You tell me what’s going to happen in two weeks time, because I’m not the only person in my hospital who will be standing down,” she said.

Another nurse told the crowd: “I would rather eat two minute noodles for the rest of my life than have that vaccine.”