Riot police deployed at the scene allegedly used rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse crowds, the BBC reported, adding that the headquarters building was damaged and several people were arrested in the process. Subsequently, the union issued a statement condemning the violence in the strongest possible terms, noting that an unspecified number of people were injured by violent acts, including throwing bottles. But he also distanced himself from the demonstrators, attributing the actions to extremists or people manipulated by extremists. Others have alleged that neo-Nazi and anti-vaccination groups organized themselves on encrypted social media platforms before arriving at the protest wearing high-visibility clothing to look like construction workers.
Bill Shorten, a former opposition leader and current Member of Parliament who serves as shadow minister for the national disability insurance plan and for government services, said in a television interview that some protesters were construction workers, while others were fake traders. According to The Guardian, protesters dressed as construction workers attacked officers, broke the windows of police cars, threw bottles and stones, and damaged other properties. It counted between 1000 and 2000 protesters, mostly young men, who marched through the city and closed a major bridge while chanting every day, which the newspaper says is a reference to the promise to continue protesting daily until Melbourne's Covid restrictions are lifted. The Australian state of Victoria has closed construction sites in Melbourne following a violent protest against mandatory vaccinations against Covid-19. A tradie who avoided receiving the Covid-19 jab before being hospitalized with the virus has slammed the door to the 'stupid' anti-vaccination protesters in Melbourne.
Tens of thousands of Sydney construction workers returned to construction sites after NSW government eased restrictions on COVID-19 hotspot tradies despite expectations that coronavirus cases in the city A COVID positive person attended the traditional protest of the Wednesday in Melbourne, stoking fears that the demonstration will turn into a super-propagating event.
