News

Melbourne ‘Freedom’ Protestors Slung A Dan Andrews Inflatable Next To A Hangman’s Gallows

Organisers have described the ongoing demonstrations as "peaceful".

by Millie Roberts  16 November 2021
Dan Andrews Noose

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

A Melbourne ‘freedom’ rally on Monday night has stirred controversy after protestors erected another hangman gallows prop, this time, with a blow-up doll of Premier Dan Andrews next to the noose.

The mobile structure saw a cross with the word ‘treason’ inside the rope, before someone pushed a ‘punching bag Dan’ inflatable against it. In the background were drums, a Euerka flag, and the sound of cheers and laughter as hundreds huddled outside Parliament House in the CBD.

A Facebook post of the gallows prior to the event that has since been taken down even tagged the Premier and said there was “one of these with your name on it”.

QAnon references and pro-Trump insignia were spotted at the event, organised by self-described “peaceful protest” grassroots organisers Melbourne Freedom Rally.

Monday was part of a string of ‘Kill The Bill’ protests aimed at the Andrews Government’s proposed pandemic legislation changes which would give the Premier unprecedented powers to issue public health orders instead of the Chief Heath Officer. Protestors are calling for the end of perceived “medical discrimination”, “unlawful quarantine detention”, vaccine mandates, and lockdown restrictions according to news.com.au.

Monday’s events follows a similar protest on Saturday where another gallows with three dangling nooses was waved, and Federal MP Craig Kelly spoke to the estimated tens of thousands of protestors. On November 8, a man was arrested for waving a bow and arrow in front of Parliament House in a similar display against the state government’s handling of the pandemic.

The Victorian Government announced yesterday they would make changes to the contentious Bill after hearing concerns from the crossbench, before the Upper House debates the legislation amendments towards the end of the week. “The bill is filled with safeguards, oversight mechanisms, that far exceed any other state I think, perhaps any other country,” said Dan Andrews on Monday.