A pregnant Australian woman was arrested for organizing an anti lockdown event that she promoted on Facebook, and video of the arrest has gone viral.
According to a Victoria Police statement reported by USA Today, Zoe, 28, was charged with incitement, an offense in Australia involving encouraging others to break the law. The video of her being handcuffed has reportedly been viewed several million times. Reports say police confiscated her family’s electronic devices when they arrived at her home in Ballarat.
Zoe created the Facebook event as a protest against the region’s coronavirus lockdown measures. USA Today and other outlets report that several people have been arrested for gathering in protest of the COVID-19 rules. “Any gathering of this nature is in blatant breach of the Chief Health Officer’s directions and puts Victorian lives at risk,” the Victoria Police statement says. “Those still thinking of attending the protest in Ballarat on Saturday can expect a swift and firm response from police.”
In her Facebook video, Zoe called the pandemic a hoax, a claim that public health officials reject. Victoria began a second lockdown in early August as cases rose, and the state became a hot spot for infections in Australia. The rules include a curfew and limits on leaving home, though the Australian Government Department of Health says people may still exercise and leave for work during daytime hours.
In the video, an officer tells her she is being charged and that devices in the home will be taken. She offers to delete the post and says, “I didn’t realize I was doing anything wrong.” The officer says it is too late. When she asks what the arrest is for, the officer answers that it relates to a Facebook post about a lockdown protest she organized that day. She replies, “My two kids are here, I have an ultrasound in an hour. This is ridiculous.”
Elaine Pearson of Human Rights Watch criticized the arrest. “Arresting people pre-emptively for the act of organizing peaceful protests or for social media posts is something that happens all too often under authoritarian regimes, and it should not be happening in a democracy like Australia,” she said. The BBC reports people who break the rules can face fines of A$1,652 and possible jail time for serious breaches.
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