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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

This thread is for news reports, police reports, etc., concerning abusive behaviour, assaults, or other types of bad behaviour by people who become aggressive when asked to QR-scan in, show vaccination certificate, asked to wear masks where they are required, and so on.

 

It's also for discussion of those behaviours and reports.

 

 

It would be very desirable if there were some way to de-escalate these conflicts and reassure people who don't want to be vaccinated that they can still buy online without risking anyone else's health by their stance... or find some other means of calming down the situation.

 

It may not be possible; people who are anti-COVID-vaccination are generally speaking extremely convinced of the rightness of their views, and I understand and respect the right of people to refuse vaccination... as long as those people in turn respect the right of communities in general to protect themselves. It is a terrible conflict, and I do realise that for some it's a religious matter, for some it is a cultural matter, for some it's very difficult to go against family, for some it's a matter of "Don't tell me what to do, because if you do, I absolutely won't do whatever it is you want me to do", for some it's the "rabbit-hole", for some it's because so much misinformation is flooding their social media that they are terrified of the vaccines... so there are a number of issues here.

 

Anyway, let's have at it.

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Victoria - cases linked to the recent protests

 

The number of COVID-19 cases linked to recent protests in Melbourne has grown to 29, with almost all of them in people who are unvaccinated.

 

The cases involve 18 men and 11 women between the ages of 14 and 73, of whom only one was fully vaccinated, and three had received one dose of vaccine.

 

Two of those people have now been admitted to hospital.

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/victoria-records-new-covid-cases-and-deaths/100668150

 

There are almost certainly more cases which haven't been detected. I say this on the basis of many of the protesters being unlikely to get COVID-tested unless their symptoms become very severe. Some may not be tested even in such circumstances, due to their beliefs.

 

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Hunter Valley 'freedom pub' licensee convicted, fined over COVID-19 vaccination breaches

 

A crowd of protesters cheered and shouted "justice" as the licensee of a Hunter Valley "freedom pub" emerged from court after being convicted for repeated breaches of COVID-19 health orders.


Bradley John Hill, the 57-year-old licensee of the Caledonian Hotel in Singleton, waged a public campaign against COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

 

Hill was hit with multiple penalty infringement notices in October for failing to comply with COVID-19 public health orders, which led to the temporary closure of the venue.

 

He was later charged with two counts of allowing unvaccinated people into his pub.

Read more...

 

Spoiler

Hill was cheered into Singleton Court by a crowd of 80 protesters, some of whom held signs criticising "tyranny" and "discrimination".

 

Emerging after a five-minute hearing, Hill told his supporters the matter was "done".

 

"I tried to read my statement and he would not listen," he said.

"They won't want to hear it, that's why โ€” because it's illegal what they're doing."

 

Despite Hill's conviction minutes earlier, protesters shouted "justice" before asking to drink at the pub.

 

'Who are you?'

 

Inside court, Hill, who was not wearing a mask, approached a microphone before immediately taking issue with his identification.

 

Magistrate Mark Richardson asked if he was Bradley John Hill, to which he replied, "Mr Hill is not in the court, I am Bradley John".

 

"Who are you? Why are you standing in the court?" Magistrate Richardson said.

"You have no entitlement to be standing there."

 

With the accused and Magistrate at loggerheads, Hill's name was called three times by the court sheriff before an application was granted to have the matter dealt with as if Hill were absent.

 

He was convicted and fined $3,000.

 

'Severe anxiety'

 

Police facts tendered in court detailed repeated breaches of COVID-19 public health orders at the Caledonian Hotel.

 

Police attended the venue multiple times and warned Hill about being in the hotel while unvaccinated and for failing to check the vaccination status of patrons.

 

On October 15, Hill was "was seated in the public bar on a bar stool and was consuming a schooner of beer with another person", the document stated.

 

When police asked if he had updated his vaccination status, he said he had spoken to a doctor who had provided a letter.

 

"The letter states there is no absolute medical contraindication to COVID immunisation, but the accused does have firmly held beliefs and severe anxiety about getting vaccinated," the police facts said.

 

Police believed the letter did not meet the requirement under the Public Health Act and later that evening witnessed staff failing to verify the vaccination status of patrons.

 

'So unfair'

 

A protester outside Singleton Court named Fiona said she was a preschool educator and had been unable to work due to vaccination requirements.

 

"I'm here because this is so unfair, what's happening," she said.

 

Another protester named Tony Sosich said he was at the courthouse to "keep Australia free".

 

Clay Hill, who claimed to have organised of the protest, said Bradley John Hill had been "victimised" by NSW Police.

 

He said he organised the demonstration via social media and that attendees had travelled from Port Macquarie and Taree.

 

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/hunter-valley-freedom-pub-licensee-convicted-fined-over-covid...

 

I... would be speechless if it weren't for the words that want to launch from my mouth like Shakespearean missiles.

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Moranbah man charged for assaulting GP who refused COVID vaccine exemption

 

Police were called to the Sonic HealthPlus medical centre in Moranbah on November 19.

 

"It will be alleged a 48-year-old attended the premises and became involved in a verbal altercation with a 39-year-old male medical worker in relation to a private medical matter," a police spokesperson said.

 

"It is further alleged the man then punched the medical worker twice and pushed him to the ground.

 

"The 48-year-old Moranbah man was arrested and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in a public place whilst adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and public nuisance."

 

The man is due to appear in the Moranbah Magistrates Court on December 9.

 

The ABC understands the medical worker that was assaulted was a GP who was refusing to give the man a COVID-19 vaccination exemption.

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-22/moranbah-man-to-appear-in-court-over-gp-abuse-case/100641002

 

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Melbourne cafe owner afraid to go to work after death threat left at vandalised store

 

A Thornbury cafe owner says he is scared to work after vandals targeted his business, causing damage and leaving a death threat.

 

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Read more...

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-29/covid-19-melbourne-cafe-vandalised-death-threat-left-on-door/...

 

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Melbourne police investigate alleged assault of Dymocks book shop worker by customer who refused to check in

 

A Melbourne bookstore has hired professional security after a staff member working as a COVID-19 marshal was allegedly pushed down an escalator.

 

The employee at Dymocks, in Melbourne's CBD, was briefly knocked unconscious in the incident after allegedly being pushed by a customer who refused to check in using a QR code and show his vaccine certificate.

 

Afterwards, the staff member was found to have suffered a mild concussion and cuts to his back from tumbling down the escalator.

 

Police are now investigating the alleged assault, which was caught on camera.

 

[...]

 

The owners of the store said it was one of three violent incidents linked to COVID-19 check-in requirements at the store on Friday.

 

Dymocks Melbourne owner Melissa Traderso said the store had now hired security guards at a cost of around $4,000 per week.

 

"We've owned this book shop for 20 years and we've never had a physical assault against any staff member, but we had three in one day on Friday," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

 

In the other incidents, an elderly woman slapped a female employee, and a middle-aged businessman also shoved past a male staff member at the QR check-in.

 

"Just have some respect for these poor, innocent people who are just doing their job," Ms Traderso said.

 

Last week, Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra expressed concern at the rising number of incidents of abuse and aggression towards retail sector workers.

 

"Anything from a hot cup of coffee being thrown at staff to a shopping trolley being thrown at a staff member," he said.

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/police-investigate-assault-on-dymocks-staff-member/100668260

 

This is such appalling behaviour. I hope that the attacker is found and that (excuse the pun) they throw the book at him.

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

NSW man's alleged $5,000 rampage in Tasmanian COVID quarantine hotel

 

A New South Wales man who flew into Tasmania then allegedly refused to leave and smashed up his hotel quarantine room has been sent packing by police.

 

Benjamin Peter Suthers Barnes appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon charged with four counts of fail to comply with the lawful direction of an emergency worker and one count of destroy property.

 

Court documents allege that between November 26 and 29, while undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine at the Travelodge hotel in Hobart, Mr Barnes destroyed $5,000 worth of property in his room.

 

He allegedly damaged a glass wardrobe door, plaster walls, a power point, a window frame and an opening mechanism.

 

The documents further allege that on November 27 the 42-year-old from Broken Hill was told he would need to leave Tasmania after receiving a negative COVID test, but he refused.

 

The specific reason for him being directed to leave by authorities was not revealed in court.

 

It is also alleged that on two occasions during his hotel quarantine, Mr Barnes left his room without permission and headed down to the hotel foyer without a mask on.

 

He is also accused of opening his quarantine door on 12 separate occasions without wearing a face mask.

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/nsw-man-alleged-tas-quarantine-damage-bill/100670188

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Bus driver allegedly attacked by passenger after asking him to wear a mask

 

A Victorian bus driver has allegedly been seriously attacked by a passenger after asking him to wear a mask.

 

The 55-year-old driver has been hospitalised with serious injuries following the attack in northern Victoria just before 10am.

 

He was driving a bus travelling from Wodonga to Adelaide at the time.

 

The driver allegedly asked a man who boarded the bus at Kerang bus depot to wear a face mask before he continued on driving.

 

The man allegedly then became abusive and punched a window, then approached the driver and seriously assaulted him.

 

The driver then stopped the bus by Boundary Street in Kerang and the man got off the bus.

 

Source: https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-bus-driver-allegedly-attacked-by-passenger-in-kerang-aft...

 

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

Police arrest man over alleged hit-and-run crash at COVID-19 testing site in Melbourne

 

Police have arrested a man over an alleged hit-and-run crash at a COVID-19 testing site in inner-Melbourne on Tuesday morning.


Emergency services were called to the corner of Easey and Hoddle streets about 9:25am after reports a white Holden station wagon hit a pedestrian then fled the scene.


Police said a nearby nurse gave first aid to the injured pedestrian, a man in his 50s from Tarneit, before he was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the man had injuries to his upper and lower body and was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

 

"A short time later, police located the vehicle and arrested the male driver at an address in Leicester Street, Carlton," Victoria Police said in a statement.

 

Cohealth chief executive Nicole Bartholomeusz said the injured man was a testing clinic worker who had been helping clients queuing for a COVID test.

[...]
The ABC understands the injured pedestrian was a worker with cohealth, which runs a testing site from its Collingwood clinic.


[...]


The incident was one of two at Victorian COVID-19 testing sites on Tuesday.

 

The Department of Health said on Twitter it was aware of "an alleged incident of aggression against at COVID-19 testing site worker in Pakenham" which did not result in injury.

 

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-30/melbourne-covid-testing-site-person-hit-by-car-crash/10066178...

 

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Assaults, abuse, bad behaviour - Vax the way, aha, aha

This isn't a media report, just something I overheard.

I was in a clothing store browsing and one of the customers was asking a saleswoman there if there had been any trouble with checking.

Now, when I went into that store, I did the QR code trhing but there was no one at the door checking vaccination status so while my phone was open I had wandered over to the counter to ask if they would like to see my little green tick. The lady was lovely and said yes, but was very pleasant about it.

 

When talking to the customer, she said she had copped some abuse though from an older customer as when she asked to check, the woman gave her the rounds and said she should not be in her job as she had no idea of correct customer service. The first thing she should have said was 'How may I help you?' before asking to check.

The saleswoman was saying she was taken aback but thought it was useless to ask how she could help if it turned out the person had no vaccination certificate, as she would not be allowed to help, she would have to ask the person to leave.

 

Not an easy job for staff these days.

 

 

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