(Based on articles from the GUARDIAN and ABC NEWS on August 21, 2021.)
Queensland-based Victorian Anthony Khallouf, 29,
pleaded guilty on Friday to breaching public health orders by driving to Sydney
last weekend. NSW Police Force says Khallouf was staying at a North Sydney
hotel but was located on Thursday afternoon at Hornsby train station after he
took a wrong train instead of a city train.
Khallouf, an
online anti-lockdown activist, told officers he was lost and couldn't give a
reasonable excuse for travelling to Hornsby. He was arrested and charged with
failing to comply with public health orders, encouraging the commission of
crimes and making false representations prompting police involvement.
Khallouf appeared at Hornsby Local Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to all offences. He was sentenced by magistrate Robyn Denes to a non-parole period of three months' imprisonment, with an aggregate term of eight months.
Cops Outnumbered Freedom Fighters in Sydney CBD
Police,
meanwhile, stationed some 1400 officers around the CBD on Saturday to ensure
the protest doesn't occur. Police made dozens of arrests and issued more than
250 fines to people breaching the state's COVID-19 public health orders on
Saturday, after a crackdown on anti-lockdown protesters in central Sydney. The
protest lost momentum after one of its key organisers was jailed yesterday
The
demonstration — scheduled to start at Victoria Park, on Broadway, at midday —
was thwarted before it began after more than 1,500 police officers made their
presence felt across the city throughout the morning. Police said they had
issued 261 fines, and made 47 arrests for COVID-19 breaches around NSW on
Saturday, most of which were connected with the protest.
Officers
positioned on foot, horseback, bicycles and motorcycles were out on the
streets, at major roads and railway stations. A ring was also created around
the CBD. NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the strategy had been
successful in helping to keep the number of protesters down.
Authorities had also issued a prohibition on taxis,
rideshares and other transport services from taking people to the city in
response to the unauthorised protest. Roadblocks heading into the CBD were also
established at main arteries, such as on the Warringah Freeway in North Sydney.
"The
traffic operations around Sydney identified 137 people who were in breach of
the Public Health Order either by not wearing face coverings, or who had no
reasonable excuse to be travelling outside their local government area,"
Deputy Commissioner Mr Lanyon said.
"As part of
road policing operation, nearly 38,000 vehicles were checked at 14 designated
traffic points stationed on major roads leading into the city centre, and 120
mobile units were deployed across our roadways."
Anthony Khallouf: Anti-Lockdown Freedom Fighter
Khallouf is the
founder of Australians vs The Agenda, one of the larger anti-lockdown groups
with more than 12,000 followers on Telegram. Originally from Victoria, last
year he was charged with incitement for allegedly helping to organise a protest
in Melbourne.
Khallouf’s
channel was also key in helping to organise protests in cities across Australia
last month, sharing graphics promoting the “Australia Freedom Rally” and asking
for help distributing thousands of paper flyers for the “Worldwide Rally for
Freedom”.
On Tuesday, Khallouf posted a video online where he
was seen with the Harbour Bridge behind him and joked about "giving
up" in the face of criticism, apologising to "anybody I've let
down". "I'll see you guys this Saturday," he then said, saluting
the camera.
Khallouf was yesterday sentenced to eight
months prison, with a non-parole period of three months, after pleading guilty
to four counts of not complying with a direction and one count each of
encouraging the commission of a crime and making false representations
resulting in a police investigation.
The 29-year-old
was a key figure behind the July rally in Sydney that attracted thousands of
anti-lockdown demonstrators. He encouraged his thousands of followers on social
media and on encrypted messaging apps to attend today's protest.
