Australia’s Covid Crisis: Victoria Enters 6th Lockdown as New South Wales Cases Hit New Record

The Sydney Harbour Bridge in New South Wales. The Australian state recorded 262 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
THE GUARDIAN: Three largest states under strict controls as Delta variant spread worsens and Sydney warned to expect more bad news in coming days

The Australian state of Victoria has entered its sixth lockdown to join the country’s two other largest states under varying degrees of coronavirus restrictions as the Delta variant continues to spread.

Lockdowns have been enforced across the east coast, including Australia’s three largest cities – Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – putting more than 60% of the country’s 25 million population under strict stay-home orders.

Victoria, which endured one of the world’s longest lockdowns in 2020, began a snap, seven-day lockdown on Thursday in response to an outbreak of unlinked new infections.

The latest round of restrictions include rules that have become wearily familiar to Victorians – including only being allowed to leave home for five reasons, a 5km travel limit for exercise and shopping, and compulsory masks indoors and outdoors – and come only 10 days after the last mini-lockdown ended. » | Martin Farrer | Friday, August 6, 2021

Plan to Make It More Difficult for Australians to Criticise Islam and Other Religious Groups If Turnbull Waters Down Race Speech Laws

DAILY MAIL: Victoria's Multicultural Affairs Minister flags tougher religious vilification laws / Robin Scott said he'd make push if Turnbull watered down 18C part of race laws / Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to scrap words 'offend' and 'insult' / Muslim psychologist Hanan Dover described the federal government as 's****'

Victoria is threatening to make it harder to criticise Islam if the Turnbull government waters down race speech laws.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has flagged his intention to scrap the words ‘offend’, ‘insult’ and 'humiliate' from section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and replace them with the term 'harass'.

In Victoria, it’s already an offence to publish material on the internet or on fliers that might encourage other people to 'hate' or 'ridicule' a particular religious group. Read on and comment » | Stephen Johnson for Daily Mail Australia | Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Reclaim Australia and No Room for Racism Rallies Clash Across Australia

NEWS.COM.AU: VIOLENCE erupted at protests across Australia as anti-Islamisation and anti-racism groups clashed at rival rallies.

Around the country Reclaim Australia protesters held rallies to oppose “sharia law, halal tax and Islamisation”, where they waved Australian flags and carried signs saying “Yes Australia. No Sharia”.

More than 3000 people clashed in Federation Square and blocked surrounding streets in the Melbourne CBD as it became a battleground of competing ideologies, with a rally by the Reclaim Australia movement and counter-protest by the left-wing No Room for Racism group.

Hundreds of police formed barricades to separate protesters but scuffles still broke out and paramedics had to treat assault victims for minor injuries.

Victoria Police arrested two men and one woman, with all three released pending summons.

Tempers flared as a Reclaim Australia supporter scuffled with a Guy Fawkes mask-wearing socialist protester.

More than 100 officers put up a line of bodies to separate the two groups. (+ videos) » | Sunday, April 05, 2015