Australian police have arrested two men accused of preparing a protest against containment in Melbourne, where the strictest restrictions have just come into force to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
Police told AFP on Friday that the two 40-year-olds would be presented on Friday to be charged with incitement to commit an offense.
Such a protest would violate measures taken to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Australia had been praised for its effective management of the first wave of the epidemic. But a few new outbreaks of contamination in June in Melbourne and its region have spiraled out of control.
Victoria state, which recorded another 450 new cases on Friday, has gradually tightened restrictions in recent weeks.
A nighttime curfew, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., was imposed at the start of the week and only “essential” businesses have been authorized to open since Thursday.
Residents still have the right to leave their homes during the day to play sports, go shopping or work, if their job is considered “essential”.
State police are committed to responding firmly to any breach of containment instructions. She distributed 196 fines in the past 24 hours for a variety of reasons, ranging from people who did not have a mask to others who had broken the curfew to go buy a pizza.
But the arrest of the two men announced on Friday is undeniably an escalation, as some claim that the restrictions ordered against the coronavirus violate freedom of speech and the right to protest.
Australia, with a population of 25 million, has more than 20,000 coronavirus cases and 255 deaths.