Sydney police call for military to enforce lockdown

If these stupid people would just stay home and follow the guidelines this outbreak would be over by now. Instead, these objectors are only extending the lockdown by spreading the virus. Don’t call it a totalitarian government. Call it a small percentage of stupid people stuffing it up for the rest.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the purpose of the army to defend Australians? The world has certainly gone mad, using the army to attack your own citizens, that's beyond anyone's comprehension.

Sydney police call for military to enforce lockdown

Yes, great to hear about a first small effort, now that sounds good and is a step nearer to what has to be done.

I don’t think some people understand why this is happening, the lockdown is to try and stop the spread. The problem is some people are not abiding by the rules. Many other states have had lockdowns which if done correctly, have helped contain the spread.

El Rata, As far as calling in the military, this is Australia, of course they are not going to be armed, they are there to assist the police with numbers.

DTH, +1

The problem is not that people dont abide by the rules. The problem is that we can never totally lock a city down, some people always have to go out for work/services/food etc. and so lockdowns are always only partial and therefore always only partially effective.

The world has certainly gone mad, using the army to attack your own citizens, that's beyond anyone's comprehension.

And beyond reality in Australia. No soldiers are attacking anyone in Australia. They will pair with a police officer and it is the police that have the power to arrest law breakers. Soldiers have no legal powers against citizens unless a state of emergency is declared and they are deputized. The soldiers assisting police with their duties are all unarmed.

Stay-at-home orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero

So stupid, of course, it never did, never do, and never will do.

Poor Aussies ought to fight this human rights abuse in court.

Stay-at-home orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero

This is an impossible target and will never happen. Such expectations will lead to a continuation of the perpetual opening up and then locking down again cycle. Better to be realistic. Put in common sense strong protections for the vulnerable, make properly tested, safe vaccinations available for those who want them, provide effective drugs and medical equipment for the infected, and let society function normally. School, work, play, travel and visiting family and friends, etc are a human rights that cannot be stripped from citizens.

Whilst we are led to believe all Australians fully support their governments harsh totalitarian lockdown, unparalleled elsewhere in the world, except China and North Korea, why is their this need for such super enforcement, loss of civil right, huge penalties and why are thousands and thousands of dollars of fines being handed out daily

Btw, since the military personnel have no police license or authority you can them to MYOB.

They have zero legal authority over you.

The soldiers will not be doing anything but protect the police if assaulted. They have the same right as any citizen to assist a police officer in carrying out their lawful duties and can make a citizens arrest in protecting police from assault. However as a soldier they will have paper work in triplicate to fill out that a citizen wont have for doing the same such arrest.

The military that is trained in the use of deadly force?

Break curfew?

Shoot on sight?

Australia is ridiculous bringing the military in!

Lol, you wanted lockdowns, you get lockdowns. What better way to force people to not get sick than at gun point!

Some strange responses to this thread, from armchair critics overseas.

This is how we are managing the Covid response in this country, I have said it before, whilst our vaccination rate is lagging, as someone involved on the front line in this I’d say we are going about it in the right way. Our numbers are still pretty good because of how we deal with this.

Glad to hear most people are ignoring the lockdowns. We have to stand up to government tyranny.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the purpose of the army to defend Australians? The world has certainly gone mad, using the army to attack your own citizens, that's beyond anyone's comprehension.

Guaranteed 95% thumbs down for this comment with this crowd, but this is what happens within a few decades of the citizens of a country voluntarily handing over all their firearms to the government.

In the US, we got clobbered by Covid because we DON'T listen to the government (and also because so many of us are fat slobs, but the news media isn't allowed to 'fat shame' so they largely ignored the correlation between being a fat slob and getting clobbered by Covid).

But I know this: The US government WOULDN'T DARE try a stunt like this. Our government may still jerk us around plenty, but on these levels, our government is ultimately afraid of us (citizens), and that's exactly they way it should be.

Is this Government out of there filliping minds, roll out the vaccine, before the Mark VIs tanks, rolling down the streets, is this government going to seriously the military on there own people??!!

It's a test to see what they can get away with.

AustPaulToday  08:46 pm JST

Some strange responses to this thread, from armchair critics overseas. 

This is how we are managing the Covid response in this country, I have said it before, whilst our vaccination rate is lagging, as someone involved on the front line in this I’d say we are going about it in the right way. Our numbers are still pretty good because of how we deal with this.

So you're endorsing authoritarianism and martial law? Good grief.

@AustPaul

Don't you think Australians remember their history?

What better way to force people to not get sick than at gun point!

Where is there any mention of guns?

The slope to a totalitarian state is quite slippery. This should deeply concern not only the good people of Australia, but also others everywhere. Those willing to sacrifice freedom for a little safety deserve neither, a wise man once said.

Use the military to enforce Governmental will on it's people, and any form democracy will ultimately become the casualty.

@BurakuminDes

What else does the military use to coerce people? Give them flowers?

"This is your flower, there are many like it but this one is yours!"

It is elected Government that has to take responsibility for the failure in office to vaccinate their people.

To turn to the military is an admittance that democracy is beyond their intellectual ability , the ability to govern, the mandate to serve the people.

Is anyone seriously suggesting the military should open fire?

If not what the hell are they doing there?

I think it will be much easier for Australia to increase the vaccination rate and open up gradually (like the US did) instead of continuing to enforce hard lockdowns which will only create resentment among the freedom loving and sports mad general public in Australia.

This situation reminds me of that dystopian Australian movie 'The Rover'.

Glad to hear most people are ignoring the lockdowns.

Except most people are following the government instructions. Your statement is false and misinformation.

We have to stand up to government tyranny.

A government that has saved thousands of lives is not tyrannical at all. More rubbish.

Australian people need to take action before they end up back as a penal colony.

https://rumble.com/vkf9zx-another-conspiracy-come-true.html

So it's gone from two weeks to flatten the curve to martial law.

Martial law has not been declared , nor will it. This is Australia, not Trumps America.

Another false narative from ill informed scare mongers. Why do people lie about Australia and its covid response? Smart people see through the fake lies.

Offer free beer to those staying home, and if you leave the home without authorization, then you have to buy beer to giveaway for free.

The amazing rate of spread of the Delta variant cannot be accounted for by just the nonimmunized. There is nothing in our knowledge of biology which would prevent the 'variance' that defines the Delta to be the ability to undetectably ride along in the immunized person at some low level of shedding but enough that the unmasked, fully immunized Human is the Trojan Horse of this virus. Biology has WAY MORE imagination that we seem to have and will find a way through, particularly with the generous assistance of the conservative mind[less] who are told to value 'personal frredom' over life itself and believe the poisonous voices telling them this. And where else would we expect this to be most fomented but in the land of the most poisonous voice now onplanet: Rupert Murdoch, leader of the band "Poisontongue and the treasonous Wormtongues". You go! Aussies, and perhaps a generous Ardern-sama will teach you how to run a country...

The Aussie government undermined AZ and then publicised 'Covid zero' as if it was an alternative to rapid vaccination.

You can only run with 'Covid zero' when the number of cases is really quite tiny and outbreaks are sorted quickly. Sydney may have gone past that point. Lockdown in a city, once cases rise, can only suppress hospitalisations until vaccination levels rise.

If you wish to maintain 'Covid zero' elsewhere in Australia, you may now have to block unquarantined access from Sydney (or NSW) to the rest of Australia for some time.

Sydney may now have joined the RotW, living with Covid. It had better get on and vaccinate as quickly as it can.

Meanwhile Japanese go around with gay abandon into bars and drink like a pirates parrot and into restaurants and eat like pigs at trough all without a mask and yet oh these perfect peoples wear their mask for everyone to driving in their cars alone. Of all the world the Japanese have adhered to Covid restrictions or implemented or enforced them or carried out vaccination the LEAST. This country is the ultimate contradiction and deception

Using the military to control the population? One would think the news is from CCP China, and not Australia. Increasingly it becomes difficult to see the difference.

Concerned Citizen

Stay-at-home orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero

This is an impossible target and will never happen. Such expectations will lead to a continuation of the perpetual opening up and then locking down again cycle.

It's not impossible and it has happened. Look at New Zealand.

Zaphod

Using the military to control the population? One would think the news is from CCP China, and not Australia. Increasingly it becomes difficult to see the difference.

The military in Australia are less armed than the regular police in the US. Get a perspective.

William Bjornson

The amazing rate of spread of the Delta variant cannot be accounted for by just the nonimmunized. There is nothing in our knowledge of biology which would prevent the 'variance' that defines the Delta to be the ability to undetectably ride along in the immunized person at some low level of shedding but enough that the unmasked, fully immunized Human is the Trojan Horse of this virus.

Nobody is interested in your own personal theories. The rate of spread of the delta virus is because it is more infectious than previous variants and the orginal. Simple really.

Also, to be clear, vaccinated people spread the virus an order of magnitude less than unvaccinated.

Kaerimashita. I am in New Zealand. I would like to point out that your statement is not correct in regards to lockdown. There are 4.9 million people here. There was only lockdown for a month or two last year. We don't have any local cases of covid (none at all) and we are not usually wearing a mask. The only requirement is to wear a mask on public transport. Lockdown can work if only the people agree to do it. This is sadly not the case in Japan

Sensationalism about a tiny part of Australia. I live just out of Brisbane the 3rd biggest city in Australia. No lockdowns here. We have had 3-4 weeks of minor disruption in the past 18 months. Golf has never been cancelled once for example. Spectators have filled sports stadiums and most importantly children have not missed school or team sports. Just 7 deaths in our state in the past 18 months from covid and only a handful of people with long covid.

Our response has been pretty much perfect. Only problem is anti vaxxers

@kurusupisu

We remember our history, care to elaborate more on your comment? I’m here and know what’s going on, you’re definitely not.

@kyronstavic, where are you as you write that comment? I wouldn’t call government health directions authoritarianism and there is no mention of martial law at all.

The main criticism we have down here in regards to the government’s handling of this crisis is the vaccination supply, hopefully that will pick up in the coming months.

They have to mind their own business rather than whinning about 'China"!

Using the military to control the population? One would think the news is from CCP China, and not Australia. Increasingly it becomes difficult to see the difference.

A perfect example of a statement from someone that knows nothing about what is actually happening in Australia.

Using the military to control the population?

The Australian military is much to small to control the twenty six million population. Clearly a made up statement.

One would think the news is from CCP China, and not Australia.

That would be much closer to truth.

Increasingly it becomes difficult to see the difference.

Only for the blind or those more interested in making fake stories.