Protesters bring Mardi Gras parade to a halt by BLOCKING the Liberal Party’s float while mocking Scott Morrison – before police intervene
- The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade was briefly halted by protesters
- Fake Liberal Party float stopped ahead of the ‘Friends of the Liberal Party’ float
- The fake float featured signs of Scott Morrison and Captain Cook
- Protesters formed a blockade before police swooped in and removed them
A fake Liberal party float featuring pictures of Scott Morrison and Captain Cook in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was stopped by police on Saturday night.
The float represented a sailing ship and was lead by a person in a Hawaiian shirt with a picture of Scott Morrison on their head.
Other protesters were dressed in blue overalls with the words ‘Department of Homo Affairs’ written in white letters on the back and held a banner reading ‘turn back the float, wreck their endeavour.’
A fake Liberal party float featuring pictures of Scott Morrison and Captain Cook in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was stopped by police on Saturday night
Protesters were dressed in blue overalls with the words ‘Department of Homo Affairs’ written in white letters on the back stopped the fake float
The registered ‘Friends of the Liberal Party’ float behind the protest float was forced to stop in its tracks
The protesters then formed a blockade across the Oxford Street bringing the parade to a halt just after 10pm.
A registered ‘LGBT Friends of the Liberal Party’ float directly behind the protesters was forced to stop in it’s tracks.
Th visibly annoyed parade participants on the back of the float could be seen gesturing for the protesters to move away.
Dozens of officers on bikes and on foot from New South Wales police then swooped in and clashed with the protesters, quickly shutting down the float.
Televised coverage of the parade cut away just before the police removed the protesters.
Some people criticised the swift police response on Twitter.
‘Mardi Gras was founded on the fundamentals of democracy and free protest,’ one person said.
‘In a 42 year old protest you have to register your float! It does seem like they’ve lost the spirit behind the Mardi Gras,’ another person said.
Other politically focused protest floats featured in the parade such as a First Nations float.
A ‘Rainbow Labor’ float was also included in the parade with Labor politicians Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally, and Labor leader Anthony Albanese set to participate.
The non-registered floated halted the parade just after 10pm on Saturday
Dozens of NSW police, some on bikes, swooped in and removed the protesters
The protesters carried a banner reading ‘turn back the float, wreck their endeavour’ before police removed them