Nick Patterson: Melbourne anti-lockdown protest leader charged with assault
A professional cage fighter turned key figure of Melbourne’s anti-lockdown rebellion has been hit with more than 20 charges after clashing with police during heated protests over the weekend.
Nick Patterson, 38, was arrested for at least the second time in just three days following the allegedly violent demonstrations in the CBD on Saturday and Narre Warren on Sunday.
Mr Patterson was taken into custody at Dandenong on Monday evening, with dozens of his supporters reportedly jamming the police station’s phone lines after calling up to do a “welfare check”.
He was also reportedly taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder after a scuffle with police at the protest event in Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday.
Photos from the scene show Mr Patterson with a bloodied head being attended to by police after he was arrested in North Melbourne while walking away from the demonstration at Flagstaff Gardens.
The group claims they were trying to leave the area when they were surrounded by police and a scuffle broke out.
The incident occurred during Victoria’s strict seven-day lockdown where people are only allowed to leave home for five reasons.
Patterson was pictured not wearing a mask – which is now required at all times in Victoria when leaving home – at the time of the incident and was earlier seen in a video berating police officers who stopped and questioned him near the anti-lockdown rally.
A police spokeswoman confirmed the 38-year-old from Cranbourne in Melbourne’s southeast had been charged with more than 20 offences following incidents at protests on May 29 and 30.
The charges include four counts of assaulting police, six counts of resisting police, three counts of intentionally causing serious injury, three counts of recklessly causing serious injury, three counts of unlawful assault, affray and two counts of breaching the chief health officer’s directions.
He was remanded on Monday night to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
It comes after pastor Paul Furlong was arrested after allegedly trying to hold an illegal church service in Narre Warren on Sunday morning.
About 50 protesters faced off with police in a nearby park after officers moved in to stop the service at Revival Christian Church.
Five fines were issued for breaches of the chief health officer’s directions, and Mr Furlong was charged with incitement and bail offences.
He was remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates Court on June 10.
Police also arrested 14 protesters at Flagstaff Gardens on Saturday for offences including assaulting police, affray and breaching the chief health officer’s directions, while 55 others were handed penalty notices.
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