London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 06, 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
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
Gen Z Turns to Investing as America's First-Home Dream Moves Further Out of Reach
Thousands Join Anti-Abortion March Through Central London
UK Beekeepers Call for Nationwide Tracking as Asian Hornet Sightings Increase
England Sees Sharp Rise in Property Subsidence Claims After Record Summer Heat
House of Lords Advances Financial Services Reform Bill
House of Lords Begins Detailed Scrutiny of Railways Bill and Great British Railways Plan
UK Treasury Cuts Green Book Discount Rate to Support More Regional Infrastructure Projects
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Aides After Undercover Report on Foreign Donation Rules
UK Chancellor Warns Autumn Budget Will Require Tough Choices as Energy Shock Squeezes Public Finances
UK Parliament Raises Concerns Over Funding Structure of £400 Million Tropical Forest Initiative
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North as Part of UK Devolution Push
UK Reaffirms Falkland Islands Sovereignty Amid Renewed Regional Pressure
Andy Burnham to Abstain From Assisted Dying Vote as Ministers Are Told to Remain Neutral
Kemi Badenoch Sacks Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride in Conservative Economic Strategy Shake-Up
UK Government Drops Early Prisoner Release Plan in Favor of Deportations and Wider Prison Reform
UK Farmers Warn Drought-Hit Harvests Could Push Grocery Prices Higher
UK Economy Faces Persistent Stagflation Risks Ahead of October Budget
Masked Protesters Block Port of Dover Roads, Disrupting Cross-Channel Traffic
Reform UK Suspends Senior Officials After Undercover Investigation Into Foreign Donation Plans
UK Urges Households to Keep Emergency Supplies Amid Severe El Niño Warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Regional Industry and Prison Reform Agenda
Siemens Energy Wins Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor Manufacturing Contract
UK Mortgage Costs Rise as Gilt Yields and Swap Rates Climb
Bank of England’s Huw Pill Calls for Prompt Rate Rise as Inflation Risks Persist
National Audit Office Warns UK Is Unprepared for Major Food Supply Disruptions
British Army Suspends Some Training Exercises as Budget Pressures Intensify
HMS Queen Elizabeth Deploys as NATO Allied Response Force Command Ship
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Officials Over Alleged Foreign Donation Scheme
UK Reasserts Falkland Islands Sovereignty After Argentina Threatens Sanctions
Scottish Tech Company PureLifi Enters Administration With More Than 40 Job Losses
Scottish Government Names Alyn Smith Innovation and Education Minister
Green Party Co-Leader Zack Polanski to Contest By-Election for Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Palestine Action Activists Appeal Terrorism-Related Prison Sentences
PwC Report Highlights Persistent Regional Spending-Power Divide Across Britain
UK Names Hundreds of Employers for Minimum Wage Violations
UK Commits £400 Million to International Tropical Forest Fund
UK Extends £2 Bus Fare Cap Across England Through 2027
UK Warns Travellers as US-Iran Tensions Disrupt Middle East Security and Shipping
Andy Burnham Faces Kemi Badenoch in First Prime Minister’s Questions
Kemi Badenoch Names Andrew Griffith Shadow Chancellor in Conservative Reshuffle
UK Treasury and Markets Focus on Fiscal Headroom Ahead of Autumn Budget
UK Government Reverses Early Release Plans for Serious Violent and Sexual Offences
UK and France Review Border Cooperation After 48,000 Small-Boat Crossings Prevented
UK Growth Outlook Weakens as Inflation and Energy Costs Rise
Breeding Tropical Mosquitoes Discovered in East London
×