Six protesters were arrested and 72 others were fined at the so-called “freedom” rally in the CBD on Saturday.The more than 5000 “selfish” protesters ignored the pleas of authorities to stay home, with such events classified as illegal under the government’s strict lockdown rules.But despite fears of the rally being a Covid-19 super spreader event, Premier Daniel Andrews said it was unlikely to have an impact on the lockdown being lifted at 11.59pm on Tuesday.One of the reasons is it’s unlikely the protesters, many of who don’t believe in the pandemic at all, will be tested for Covid-19, so authorities won’t be able to determine if they have contracted the virus anyway.“We can only go on the information that we have,” Mr Andrews said.“Neither you nor I or anybody else can, with any great certainty, work out what comes of Saturday’s protest.“I’d argue not much comes of it, but it is a risk none of us needed to take.“We will deal with the most complete picture that we have, that’s why we always wait as late in the cycle as we can.”Mr Andrews said due to case numbers trending down and the majority being in isolation during their infectious period, Victoria was “on track to ease lockdown restrictions on Tuesday night”.He said authorities would need to wait 14 days to determine for certain if there was any impact from the protest and they were “not going to do that”.“It’s no way to behave, but I don’t believe it will fundamentally change things,” he said.“It could be a problem; I hope it won’t be, I wish it had not happened.“(It was) self-indulgent, selfish, it’s wrong and Victoria Police are having a close look at everybody that was involved.“On the data we have now, on the trend that we’ve seen unfold over recent days, the strategy is working and we are on track.“All our cases are linked, the vast majority of them have been in isolation during their infectious period and no risk to others.”The Premier said lifting the lockdown would be guided by the test results from Monday and Tuesday regardless of where people contracted the virus.He said not all of the restrictions would be removed but it was his hope authorities would be able to ease some of the rules Victorians are living under.“We won’t go from five reasons to leave your home and a lockdown on Tuesday to do whatever you want, wherever you want,” Mr Andrews said.“There will still be some restrictions in place, the exact nature of that, that’s got to be worked through.”Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said the protest “should not have happened”.“It beggars belief that we might find ourselves in the situation where Saturday became a mass spreading event that the very thing these people were supposedly protesting for would result in yet another extension to our lockdown,” he said.“This is beyond logic, it is beyond reason and it is beyond common sense.“This sort of selfish, dangerous behaviour has to stop.”Mr Cornelius said the investigations were ongoing and Victorians “could be sure” there will be many more than just 72 fines issued.jack.paynter@news.com.au
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