One of the men who were charged was captured in a picture from the protest wearing a yellow singlet with “free speech” printed on it and his closed fist making contact with a police horse’s mouth. The 33-year-old was arrested after police tracked him down at a home on Marlborough Street in Surry Hills at 11.20pm.He was taken to Kings Cross police station and charged with affray, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and breaching a Covid-19 restriction.A second man was also arrested in connection with the incident.That man, a 36-year-old, was visited by police at a house on Kalang Road in the suburb of Edensor Park, which is in the Fairfield council area in Sydney’s southwest. He was taken to Fairfield police station and charged with assault on an officer in execution of duty, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, and breaching a Covid-19 restriction.Both men were denied bail.The pair was nabbed as part of a police strike force dubbed Seasoned that was set up to investigate the protest march, which drew thousands of people to central Sydney and was aimed at voicing displeasure with the city’s lockdown. Police have vowed to identify the people present, many of whom would have been in breach of the stay-at-home rules which only allow people to leave home for essential reasons. The pair will front court later today.More to come
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