9 ms·

This is blatant misinformation. Melbourne has been the most locked down city in the world. Understandably, the working class for whom WFH is not an option, have

by solzh 5y ago

This is blatant misinformation. Melbourne has been the most locked down city in the world. Understandably, the working class for whom WFH is not an option, have had enough. The protests are predominantly second/third generation Mediterranean immigrants, women, and children. As Scandinavia rolls back all restrictions, Australian media work in concert with the government to stifle any dissent as the country spirals deeper into totalitarianism. Citizens are unable to leave the country, a violation of the UN declaration of Human Rights. This is what fascism looks like: https://twitter.com/RitaPanahi/status/1441323043687518221 https://twitter.com/RitaPanahi/status/1441323043687518221 https://twitter.com/beingrealmac/status/1441687633911074816 https://twitter.com/beingrealmac/status/1441687633911074816 https://twitter.com/K_for_rats/status/1441380783676030983 https://twitter.com/K_for_rats/status/1441380783676030983

ImaCake 5y ago
For those not from Australia; we are not about to become a fascist state. The parent comment’s other complaints about inequality are indeed true and our government has failed them. Lockdown sucks and is problematic. There are riots and the media is of course following the government line. But these lockdowns will end and some level of normalcy restored.
Gatsky 5y ago
I live in Melbourne. Trust me, I’m not misinformed. You can leave the country by the way (I’ve done it), what is your source?
- solzh 5y ago
  > If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption. https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia
  - Gatsky 5y ago
    There is a list of reasonable exemptions including work related travel.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - classichasclass 5y ago
      My wife took three tries for urgent necessary business. We think she just got a sympathetic reviewer, because the entire process is opaque.
    - brandur 5y ago
      > There is a list of reasonable exemptions including work related travel. Don't you think that you should've caveated your original comment with the fact that you need a specialized exemption to be able to leave? Every other account I've read besides yours says that these exemptions are difficult and onerous to get, including for extreme cases like family emergencies. And even if you're granted one, trying to come back is still a very messy and expensive affair. As per the article's point — only available to the more privileged classes. Here's an article from July [1] that has the numbers for June: out of 34,616 exemptions applied for, 14,522 were granted. That's about 40%. --- [1] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/03/travel-exemptions-rise-as-more-australians-apply-to-fly-overseas https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/03/trave...
      - Gatsky 5y ago
        Please consider my reply in the context of the original comment claiming the Australian Covid19 travel policy is a violation of the UN charter of human rights.
        louloulou 5y ago
        From Article 13 of the UN declaration of human rights: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
  - nsonha 5y ago
    I'm not sure what makes me angrier, the lack of freedom, or the laziness of the Australian government. It's clear that they don't want people to leave the country because they don't want to deal with people comming back. Yes they think that far ahead to avoid doing their job.
- angelzen 5y ago
  The OA has a well sourced section that indicates that you can leave, you just may not be able to come back. > Currently, more than 38,000 Australians are stranded overseas and nobody can leave the country unless you have a rarely granted exemption. The prime minister of Australia threatened jail-time for anyone returning back from India due to concerns about the transmissibility of the Delta strain yet the New South Wales government when there was an outbreak of Delta strain was like "nah, she will be alright mate" and did nothing for weeks. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-30/stranded-australians-covid19-flights-international-repatriation/100337702 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-30/stranded-australians-... > More than 38,000 Australians stranded overseas due to COVID-19, with dozens of flights planned for August https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia > Australia’s borders are currently closed and international travel from Australia remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. International travel from Australia is only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual exemption. > If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/04/australia-india-travel-ban-morrison/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/04/australia-in... > Australian prime minister backs down on jail threats as India travel ban backlash intensifies.
frankish 5y ago
I'm skeptical of that second video. Looks like the woman screaming (also not wearing a mask) was not being arrested. There were also a suspiciosly high number of professional cameramen and cops there for just not wearing a mask...
- ACow_Adonis 5y ago
  as well you should be. I'm a long term melbourne resident: this was a photo my wife took at a similar time, in our local park in an almost adjacent suburb: https://imgur.com/assTtuS https://imgur.com/assTtuS Whether the lockdowns are justified or not (I think it's complicated, sure, no one likes them but that doesn't mean they're not the right thing or on the alternative side that there haven't been mistakes in their implementation), there has been a coordinated attempt with protests recently attracting low thousands, but dwindling to hundreds in recent days. that video I believe is from St kilda, which a particular small group of protesters targeted on that day for their specific actions. this was day 5 or so of them effectively playing tag with police around the inner city. the rest of us have largely been getting on with our lives. the first video is from the cbd during similar actions, and while it's likely unjustified behaviour from police, it has to be taken in the context of an organised movement that has targeted and injured police in recent times, and an extreme right wing subset deliberately provoking and trying to get as much of a response from police as possible (they then film, edit and post things out of context)
  - solzh 5y ago
    Your perception of normality has been hijacked. The rest of the world has accepted the virus will be endemic. They’re rolling back restrictions and learning to live with it. Melbourne will have spent 267 days in hard lockdown since March last year when restrictions are slated to be lifted. The painting of peaceful protestors as “extreme right wing” is disingenuous and uncivil behaviour.
  - quicklime 5y ago
    Another Melburnian here, agree with what you’re saying. I’m surprised that so many people on HN have such a warped perspective on what’s going on here, and even when multiple people from Melbourne post in this thread about their own experience living here, they’re told that they’re misinformed. Yes there are problems in Australia, but it’s not about to become a facist state.
alfiedotwtf 5y ago
I know multiple people who have come and gone.
Smoosh 5y ago
> As Scandinavia rolls back all restrictions I wonder why SWE is behaving different to AUS? https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-fully-vaccinated-covid?country=SWE~AUS https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-fully-vaccin... https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-06-18..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=desc&pickerMetric=total_cases&hideControls=true&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=false&Align+outbreaks=false&country=SWE~AUS https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explor...

by solzh 5y ago

ImaCake 5y ago

For those not from Australia; we are not about to become a fascist state. The parent comment’s other complaints about inequality are indeed true and our government has failed them. Lockdown sucks and is problematic. There are riots and the media is of course following the government line. But these lockdowns will end and some level of normalcy restored.

Gatsky 5y ago

I live in Melbourne. Trust me, I’m not misinformed. You can leave the country by the way (I’ve done it), what is your source?

solzh 5y ago
> If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption. https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia
- Gatsky 5y ago
  There is a list of reasonable exemptions including work related travel.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - classichasclass 5y ago
    My wife took three tries for urgent necessary business. We think she just got a sympathetic reviewer, because the entire process is opaque.
  - brandur 5y ago
    > There is a list of reasonable exemptions including work related travel. Don't you think that you should've caveated your original comment with the fact that you need a specialized exemption to be able to leave? Every other account I've read besides yours says that these exemptions are difficult and onerous to get, including for extreme cases like family emergencies. And even if you're granted one, trying to come back is still a very messy and expensive affair. As per the article's point — only available to the more privileged classes. Here's an article from July [1] that has the numbers for June: out of 34,616 exemptions applied for, 14,522 were granted. That's about 40%. --- [1] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/03/travel-exemptions-rise-as-more-australians-apply-to-fly-overseas https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/03/trave...
    - Gatsky 5y ago
      Please consider my reply in the context of the original comment claiming the Australian Covid19 travel policy is a violation of the UN charter of human rights.
      - louloulou 5y ago
        From Article 13 of the UN declaration of human rights: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
- nsonha 5y ago
  I'm not sure what makes me angrier, the lack of freedom, or the laziness of the Australian government. It's clear that they don't want people to leave the country because they don't want to deal with people comming back. Yes they think that far ahead to avoid doing their job.
angelzen 5y ago
The OA has a well sourced section that indicates that you can leave, you just may not be able to come back. > Currently, more than 38,000 Australians are stranded overseas and nobody can leave the country unless you have a rarely granted exemption. The prime minister of Australia threatened jail-time for anyone returning back from India due to concerns about the transmissibility of the Delta strain yet the New South Wales government when there was an outbreak of Delta strain was like "nah, she will be alright mate" and did nothing for weeks. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-30/stranded-australians-covid19-flights-international-repatriation/100337702 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-30/stranded-australians-... > More than 38,000 Australians stranded overseas due to COVID-19, with dozens of flights planned for August https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia > Australia’s borders are currently closed and international travel from Australia remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. International travel from Australia is only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual exemption. > If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/04/australia-india-travel-ban-morrison/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/04/australia-in... > Australian prime minister backs down on jail threats as India travel ban backlash intensifies.

frankish 5y ago

I'm skeptical of that second video. Looks like the woman screaming (also not wearing a mask) was not being arrested. There were also a suspiciosly high number of professional cameramen and cops there for just not wearing a mask...

ACow_Adonis 5y ago
as well you should be. I'm a long term melbourne resident: this was a photo my wife took at a similar time, in our local park in an almost adjacent suburb: https://imgur.com/assTtuS https://imgur.com/assTtuS Whether the lockdowns are justified or not (I think it's complicated, sure, no one likes them but that doesn't mean they're not the right thing or on the alternative side that there haven't been mistakes in their implementation), there has been a coordinated attempt with protests recently attracting low thousands, but dwindling to hundreds in recent days. that video I believe is from St kilda, which a particular small group of protesters targeted on that day for their specific actions. this was day 5 or so of them effectively playing tag with police around the inner city. the rest of us have largely been getting on with our lives. the first video is from the cbd during similar actions, and while it's likely unjustified behaviour from police, it has to be taken in the context of an organised movement that has targeted and injured police in recent times, and an extreme right wing subset deliberately provoking and trying to get as much of a response from police as possible (they then film, edit and post things out of context)
- solzh 5y ago
  Your perception of normality has been hijacked. The rest of the world has accepted the virus will be endemic. They’re rolling back restrictions and learning to live with it. Melbourne will have spent 267 days in hard lockdown since March last year when restrictions are slated to be lifted. The painting of peaceful protestors as “extreme right wing” is disingenuous and uncivil behaviour.
- quicklime 5y ago
  Another Melburnian here, agree with what you’re saying. I’m surprised that so many people on HN have such a warped perspective on what’s going on here, and even when multiple people from Melbourne post in this thread about their own experience living here, they’re told that they’re misinformed. Yes there are problems in Australia, but it’s not about to become a facist state.

alfiedotwtf 5y ago

I know multiple people who have come and gone.

Smoosh 5y ago

> As Scandinavia rolls back all restrictions I wonder why SWE is behaving different to AUS? https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-fully-vaccinated-covid?country=SWE~AUS https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-fully-vaccin... https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2021-06-18..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=desc&pickerMetric=total_cases&hideControls=true&Metric=Confirmed+cases&Interval=7-day+rolling+average&Relative+to+Population=false&Align+outbreaks=false&country=SWE~AUS https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explor...