Many Greek-Australians were among the large crowds of people who  have packed Melbourne CBD today  in a protest against the Victorian government’s pending pandemic legislation.

Some of them even  carried Greek flags.

Well known Greek-Australian artist Michael Nikoloudis  told Neos Kosmos he was there to  “protest about freedom and democracy”. He sai he was there with his son and many of their Greek-Australian friends.

“I am very proud as a Greek-Australian that so many of our  compatriots protested today. This protest was all about freedom. I am not against vaccination but I am against vaccine mandate” young Anthi Smirneos, told Neos Kosmos.

She said it is wrong to call the many thousands who attended today’s protest as “right wing extremists” and pointed out to a letter sent  by well known lawyers who  say they  are also  “deeply concerned” about the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 (Bill).

Their overriding concern is that the Bill, if passed, may allow, as they  claim,  the Victorian government effectively to rule the State of Victoria by decree for the foreseeable future, without proper Parliamentary oversight or the usual checks and balances on executive power.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (pandemic management) Bill 2021, which passed the lower house in October is expected to face a vote in the upper house next week.

 

Photo: Supplied

Premier  Daniel Andrews has previously said the legislation is an improvement to human rights and government transparency.

However the Victorian opposition has  also claimed the bill would hand the premier too much power and discretion in pandemics.  It says it is “the most dangerous piece of legislation” it has seen.

Among the crowds  today  there was somebody carrying a fake gallows with three nooses strung from it.

Protesters shouted threats to the Premier and several banners likened the Victorian government to the Nazis and advocated for violence against politicians.

Former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, head of the independent United Australia Party, railed against the vaccination of children and vaccine passports.

“We have a lot of fights ahead of us, the most important fight is to protect our children,” he told protesters.

Mr Kelly has been admonished in the past for his unsubstantiated claims around COVID-19 and vaccines.

Singer Claire Woodley dedicated her performance to “the victims of Satanic ritual abuse”.

She then sang a song co-written by her father Bruce, ‘I Am Australian’.

Allegations of Satanic ritual abuse are a common thread in the QAnon conspiracy theory in USA.