Wild video shows a ‘street party’ in locked down Melbourne with rooftop DJs and TWO HUNDRED revellers before it was shut down by police – as Dan Andrews vow to crackdown on rule-breakers
- More than 200 revellers attended street party in Melbourne during lockdown
- Sipped drinks and caught up with friends before event later shut down by cops
- One hotel has denied any involvement after crowd seen outside closed premises
Brazen revellers have flouted Melbourne lockdown orders to attend an outdoor street party as Covid-19 cases continue to soar.
More than 200 Melburnians flocked to inner-city Northcorte on Sunday for the street rave before the illegal event was shut down by police.
Footage of the wild festivities filmed by outraged residents shows a rooftop DJ blaring music as revellers congregated in large gatherings along the suburb’s main shopping strip.
They were seen enjoying takeaway alcoholic beverages and food from street stalls while catching up with friends in the winter sunshine.
A furious Daniel Andrews slammed such blatant breaches, calling them an ‘insult to everybody’ and warned of ‘very serious consequences’ for those caught breaking the rules.
Melbourne revellers were seen enjoying takeaway food and beverages at a street party in High Street, Northcorte on Sunday
Many of the revellers filmed showed little regard for social distancing and very few were wearing masks, which are currently mandatory outdoors in Victoria.
Furious owners of the Peacock Inn Hotel were forced to deny having anything to do with the street party, with large groups gathering outside the shut premises.
The hotel said it has remained closed during Melbourne’s latest lockdown and ‘has not been serving takeaway drinks at all this time.’
‘A bit of a kick in the teeth to local businesses who are struggling during this clusterf*** of a couple of years,’ the popular pub posted on Facebook.
‘We love our community and we can’t wait to have a street party, safely and within the regulations (as we have been operating the entire time).’
Crowds were also gathered outside live music bar Open Studio.
Large crowds gathered in inner-city Northcorte before festivities were shut down by police
Furious Melburnians took to social media to express their outrage.
‘Lockdown in Northcote people don’t give a rats what the dictator says anymore ‘highly infectious and deadly’ seems a roof top DJ more important,’ one local resident captioned footage.
Others expect Covid-19 infections to skyrocket in the coming days.
‘Curb side bars & take away food, crowds of people without masks, & DJ entertaining them all. Makes me so cross,’ a woman tweeted.
One man added: ‘Even if no COVID cases come from it we will be in lock down for another week because of it. Pull your heads in people.’
The street party sparked anger from fellow Melburnians holed up in their sixth lockdown
Police also kept a watchful eye on the large crowds in popular spots South Yarra and St Kilda.
Melburnians are in their second week of lockdown, which could be extended after Victoria recorded another 25 new infections on Sunday.
The dance party was held hours after the Victorian Premier slammed revellers attended a ‘Walk. Talk. Sip’ event in Richmond on Saturday.
Scores of unmasked residents were caught gathering outside hospitality venues as part of a ‘pub crawl’, according to the premier.
‘A pub crawl — and that is what it was — in Richmond last night is not worth it,’ he said.
The Peacock Inn Hotel has denied any involvement after large groups were seen gathering outside the currently closed premises on Sunday
‘It is just not worth it. None of us should be doing anything that potentially spreads this virus, because this virus is not something anyone wants to get.
‘We’re not talking about people in their 90s – that is tragic enough. But we’re talking about people dying in their 30s and 40s and 50s.’
He urged residents to only leave their homes for essential reasons and visit as few venues as possible.
‘Venues advertising they would operate as a chain of venues: I’d rather not see that,’ Mr Andrews said.
‘I don’t do the enforcement, I don’t issue the fines, but I would prefer if people were not out buying drinks from multiple venues and travelling between multiple venues.’
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VICTORIA’S LOCKDOWN
– There will be only five lawful reasons to leave home
1. Essential shopping
2. Two hours of daily exercise within a 5km radius
3. To seek or provide medical care
4. Work or study that cannot be done from home.
5. To go and get vaccinated.
– Face masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors
– Schools will return to online learning
– 5km travel limit for essential tasks, including shopping and exercise
– If your business was closed during the last lockdown, they must close this lockdown
– Hospitality open for takeaway only
– General retail is closed, as well as all non-essential businesses
– Visitors to the home are banned
– Funerals capped at ten people, while weddings are banned
– Professional sport can proceed but with no crowds
– Outdoor parks and play areas are open, but those indoors must close
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