Melbourne police ‘assaulted and baited’ over curfew

Authorities in the Australian city of Melbourne have cautioned of a “hazardous” increase in people withstanding lockdown procedures, sometimes strongly.

Police said this trend included so-called “sovereign citizens” – who embrace an anti-government ideology – facing officers.

In one case a female repeatedly smashed a policewoman’s head into the ground.

Authorities have actually increased fines for duplicated rule breaches as Melbourne withstands a deadly infection second wave.

Majority of Australia’s 18,300 cases have been tape-recorded in the past month in Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital. There have been 226 deaths nationally.

Melbourne has actually just recently mandated using masks and tightened up a stay-at-home order to lower transmissions.

But authorities stated many people were breaking rules, including some who declared to be “above the law”.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said Victoria Police had actually seen an “development” of “concerning groups of individuals who categorize themselves as ‘sovereign residents'”.

The sovereign person motion – which has roots in the United States – is typically utilized by those who don’t believe in their federal government’s legitimacy, typically arguing their rights are being suppressed by public orders.

Mr Patton said the attack on the policewoman “highlights the kind of obstacles that we’re