PM Morrison says Melbourne anti-lockdown protesters should be 'ashamed' for actions at war memorial

On Thursday, meanwhile, Melbourne streets were relatively quiet with hundreds of police officers patrolling the roads

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called the actions of protestors on Wednesday at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance “disgusting.”

More than 200 people were arrested after an intense stand-off between protestors and police at the war memorial. Two police officers were also struck in the head with bottles while one was admitted to hospital with chest pains.

Mr Morrison, speaking from Washington DC said that the Shrine was a “sacred site and not a place of protest.”

He added that the conduct of protesters was “disgraceful” adding that “it  was disrespectful and it dishonoured those Australians who have made the sacrifice and I would hope any and all who were in that should be ashamed.”

Protests against the government’s Covid-19 lockdown and mandatory vaccinations began on Monday after a two-week shutdown of the construction industry was announced by authorities.

Nearly 2000 protesters took over streets at peak traffic hours, according to news agency Reuters. It was reported that some in the crowd damaged cars including police vehicles, and set off flares. The protesters included, besides the construction workers, those who oppose the government’s mandatory vaccination rule.

Local media reports said protesters chanted: “F**k the jab.”

The police used pepper balls, foam baton rounds, smoke rounds and stinger grenades to contain the protests. Shane Patton, the police commissioner in the southeastern state of Victoria said: “This was a very, very large and very, very angry group. And it was a challenging and confronting environment.”

Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Shrine of Remembrance, Dean Lee said that yesterday was a “troubling day for the veteran community.”

He added: “We know what the Shrine means to the veteran community of Victoria and Australia and to see it disrespected in that way was very difficult for all of us. I think if we are to ask ourselves what it is to be Australian, it’s how we behave in times of crisis. This shows how we can be at our best when we want to behave in a way that brings us together.”

Mr Lee added that “those that seek to divide us in a time of crisis are not doing themselves any favours and not representing the best values of what it is to be Australian.”

Meanwhile, after three days of anti-lockdown protests, on Thursday Melbourne’s streets were quiet. Police officers were seen patrolling the streets to prevent yet another rally. Covid-19 cases in Victoria hit a daily pandemic record, it was reported.

Officials have said that they will ease the lockdown restrictions once at least 70 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. This is expected to happen next month, reports said.