MELBOURNE | Australian police on Thursday justified the arrest of a pregnant woman who had launched on Facebook a call to demonstrate against the restriction measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus trying to end the outcry over the images of this interpellation.
• Read also: All developments in the COVID-19 pandemic
The video, broadcast live, shows police handcuffing the mother in front of her two children.
This sequence has been viewed millions of times on the internet, causing controversy and opening the debate on respect for individual freedoms.
Pregnant woman Zoe Buhler told Australian media that she relayed plans for protests without knowing it was illegal in the state of Victoria, where restrictions are in place to stem a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic.
She admitted that she had acted “a little dizzy”.
“I’m just a passionate person and I’m fed up with lockdowns,” said Buhler.
Australia has taken action to stop activists wishing to stage protests despite a ban on holding large gatherings to combat the spread of the virus.
Including the state of Victoria, residents are invited to stay at home and limit their movements as much as possible.
The video shows the police announcing to the incredulous and distraught mother that she is under arrest for inciting a protest.
“Excuse me, incentive for what?” What … what is this? She asks the police officers in their pajamas.
“I have an ultrasound in an hour,” she says, bursting into tears.
These images have sparked a debate on individual freedoms in Australia.
Amnesty International Australia has said police are guilty of abuse of power, while rights organization Liberty Victoria has called the arrest worrying.
Far-right politicians and conspiratorial theories, who have repeatedly criticized restrictive measures aimed at tackling the virus, saw this video as proof that a “police state” was in place. in the state of Victoria.
Luke Cornelius, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the State of Victoria, supported law enforcement action, saying the authorities had been clear about the ban on holding public demonstrations.
While acknowledging that it is “terrible” to arrest a pregnant woman, he said Australians calling for protest during a pandemic are selfish and pose a threat to efforts to fight the epidemic.