Covid: Australian police clash with anti-lockdown protesters
Police in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney have clashed with thousands of people protesting against Covid lockdowns.
It came as the state of New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, recorded 825 new locally-acquired cases, the highest number for any Australian territory in a 24-hour period.
"While there were some peaceful protesters in attendance, the majority of those who attended came with violence in mind," a spokeswoman said, quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.
"The behaviour seen by police was so hostile and aggressive that they were left with no choice but to use all tactics available to them."
All those arrested face fines of A$5,452 (£2,850) for breaching Covid regulations, police said. Three people were also charged with assaulting police.
Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters that one officer had been injured after being dragged into a road by a protester and that 47 arrests had been made.
