Melbourne anti-lockdown protesters wanted after rallies in Covid-hit city

Melbourne’s most wanted: Cops release pictures of nine men wanted for questioning over the city’s violent anti-lockdown protests

  • Police search for demonstrators following anti-vaccination rallies in Melbourne
  • Five men are wanted for questioning after police assaulted on September 18
  • Officers would like to speak to man after driver spat on at rally on September 21 


Police have launched a public appeal to help identify nine protesters who attended violent rallies in Melbourne in September. 

Five men are wanted for questioning by police after officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged during one of the demonstrations in Richmond on September 18.

Officers would also like to speak to them in relation to incitement.  

Another protester is wanted for questioning after a driver was spat on during another demonstration on Westgate Bridge on September 21. 

Police have launched a public appeal to help identify several protesters who attended the demonstrations in the Victorian capital city in September

Five men are wanted for questioning by police after officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged during one of the demonstrations in Richmond on September 18 (pictured, one of the five men wanted for questioning)

Five men are wanted for questioning by police after officers were assaulted and their vehicles damaged during one of the demonstrations in Richmond on September 18 (pictured, one of the five men wanted for questioning)

One of the five men wanted for questioning by police following the demonstration in Richmond on September 18

One of the five men wanted for questioning by police following the demonstration in Richmond on September 18

One of the five men wanted by police for questioning following the anti-lockdown rally on September 18

One of the five men wanted by police for questioning following the anti-lockdown rally on September 18

Police would also like to speak to three other men after more vehicles were damaged in Carlton on the same day.

The men were just a handful of the thousands of protesters who rampaged through the city to demonstrate against stay-at-home orders. 

The demonstrations gained momentum after construction workers joined the rallies to protest a two-week shutdown of the industry imposed due to surging Covid case numbers.

Many were legitimate tradies – but others were anti-lockdown troublemakers dressed as building sector workers, with rally organisers having asked demonstrators attend the protests in ‘work clothes.’

Demonstrators charged police, attacked CFMEU headquarters, let off smoke bombs, abused and threw urine at media and swarmed Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance, which was built to honour men and women who served and died in the First World War. 

Police have launched an appeal to speak to one of the protestors following the demonstration on September 18

Police have launched an appeal to speak to one of the protestors following the demonstration on September 18

Another protester (pictured) is wanted for questioning after a driver was spat on during another demonstration on Westgate Bridge on September 21

Another protester (pictured) is wanted for questioning after a driver was spat on during another demonstration on Westgate Bridge on September 21

Police would like to question this man following the demonstration in Carlton on September 21

Police would like to question this man following the demonstration in Carlton on September 21

One of the protesters who attended the rally in Carlton on September 21

Another protester wanted for questioning by police following the rally on September 21

Police would also like to speak to several other men (pictured) after more vehicles were damaged in Carlton on the same day

At least four CFMEU members tested positive to Covid-19 after they tried to stop demonstrators from storming the union’s headquarters.

Footage captured protesters hurling verbal abuse and a plastic bread crate at the union representatives. 

More than 300 people were arrested altogether while at least two officers were hospitalised with Covid-19. 

CFMEU state secretary John Setka condemned the violent rallies at the time.

‘This outbreak caused by the disgusting behaviour of selfish and reckless people with no regard to the wellbeing of the thousands of construction workers or their families will not deter our commitment to getting construction back open and all our members back to work,’ the statement continued.

The men were just a handful of the thousands of protesters who rampaged through the city to demonstrate against stay-at-home orders

The men were just a handful of the thousands of protesters who rampaged through the city to demonstrate against stay-at-home orders

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