Australian police have arrested hundreds of protesters in Melbourne and Sydney, and the country has the highest number of coronavirus infections in the day since the pandemic.
Seven police officers were injured in clashes with protesters. In Melbourne, police used pepper spray to disperse more than 4,000 protesters.
The police prevented smaller demonstrators to gather in Sydney.
Victoria State Police say they have arrested 218 people in the capital, Melbourne. 236 fines were imposed for the attack on the police and three people were detained. Detainees face fines of 5,552 Australian dollars ($ 3,900) for violating health regulations.
Police in New South Wales, the capital of Sydney, said 47 people had been charged, including with violating health rules or resisting arrest. More than 260 fines ranging from 50 to 3,000 Australian dollars were imposed, BTA reports.
Sydney, Australia’s largest city with a population of more than 5 million people, has been under severe quarantine measures for more than two months due to the spread of the virus. Melbourne, the country’s second-largest population, is also under restrictions.
Hundreds of people also protested peacefully in Brisbane, where no quarantine measures were imposed.
Today, Australia reported a record 894 new cases, most of them in Sydney, where the Delta is at the epicenter.