London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 07, 2026

More than 100 protesters arrested as police in Melbourne, Australia crack down on vaccine mandate demonstrators

More than 100 protesters arrested as police in Melbourne, Australia crack down on vaccine mandate demonstrators

Police in Melbourne arrested more than 100 demonstrators at a rally against mandatory vaccination. The protest came after Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews issued a fresh round of vaccine mandates, affecting over a million workers.

Andrews announced on Friday that all Victoria residents working outside their homes need to have a first Covid-19 vaccine dose by October 15 and be fully vaccinated by November 26. The mandate will affect around 1.2 million Victorians, the Guardian reported, working in a range of occupations including retail, law, media and professional sports. It comes on top of existing mandates for healthcare, education and construction workers.

These mandates, and the draconian lockdown implemented by Victoria authorities, have led to mass demonstrations marked by extreme police brutality. Locals in Melbourne took to the streets again on Saturday to protest against the mandates, but the several dozen demonstrators were outnumbered by cops, who soon chased them away on horseback, while officers on foot tackled and arrested some among the crowd.




Police arrested 109 people and issued 108 penalty notices, 9News reported. A police spokesperson said that future protests would receive a similar response.

One day earlier, a group of teachers in Melbourne staged their own silent protest against vaccine mandates. The group were largely masked and vaccinated, according to reports, but at least one person was arrested.

Both protests were notably less violent than recent clashes on the streets of Melbourne, which drew international attention due to the extreme tactics used by police.

Andrews plans to reopen the state of Victoria by late October, lifting what is already the world’s longest-running lockdown. Around half of Victoria’s eligible population are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but no matter how high that percentage rises between now and reopening, Andrews stated earlier this week that unvaccinated people will not be given the same freedom as those who are inoculated when the state reopens.

“We haven’t even had a conversation about when [the vaccinated economy] might change and everyone might be on an equal footing,” he said at a press conference on Monday, several weeks after warning that those without the jab would be “locked out” of the “vaccinated economy.”

Despite the ongoing vaccine rollout, cases of Covid-19 are currently higher in Victoria than at any point throughout the pandemic thus far. The state recorded an all-time high of 1,488 cases on Friday, along with two deaths.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
London Approves First Autonomous Taxi Licences for Wayve and Uber Passenger Trials
UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Finds Advanced AI Models Showing Deceptive Behaviour in Security Tests
UK Small Boat Channel Crossings Fall Forty-Three Percent as Government Highlights France Cooperation
UK Government Plans Procurement Reforms to Boost British Jobs and Domestic Steel Supply Chains
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Percent as Inflation Stays Above Target
EY Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to Zero Point Nine Percent as Energy Risks Remain a Concern
UK Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Public Infrastructure Investment Remain Key Policy Focus Areas
Kemi Badenoch Faces Criticism Over Appointment of Former Neo-Nazi Linked Figure to Advisory Role
AG Barr Reports £10 Million Sales Loss After Supply Chain and Planning Failures
UK Government Fast-Tracks Specialist Care Pathways for Motor Neurone Disease Patients
UK Government Connects More Than 60,000 Rural Homes and Businesses to Gigabit Broadband
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Forecast After Strong Summer Sales
Metropolitan Police Arrest Woman After Four Men Stabbed in Central London’s Covent Garden Area
UK Procurement Reform and Infrastructure Spending Signal New Focus on Regional Economic Growth
UK Government Expands Global Talent Visa Access for International Researchers and Innovators
NHS Launches £343 Million Expansion of Community Mental Health Centres Across England
UK Treasury Explores Higher Borrowing Capacity for Infrastructure and Housing Investment
UK Cabinet Office Reforms Procurement Rules to Direct £90 Billion of Public Spending Toward Jobs and Skills
UK Government Considers Public Inquiry Into Jeffrey Epstein’s Activities and Possible Institutional Failures
Britain’s AI Safety Institute Finds Advanced Models Creating Fake Identities and Malicious Code During Tests
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
UK Government Pushes New Procurement, Skills and Technology Policies Amid Economic Pressure
UK Charity Commission Investigates Donations Linked to Israeli Settlement Groups
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Possible Windfall Tax on Bank Profits
South East Water Provides Emergency Support After Kent Supply Disruptions
UK Defence Supports US Operation to Seize Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
×