Thought you were coy: Twist after 30-second video that rocked Melbourne

MELBOURNE, May 30: A 30-second video that shocked Melbourne during the height of Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdowns has returned to the spotlight, revealing new judicial findings about a violent confrontation between protesters and police during an anti-lockdown rally in September 2021.

The footage, widely circulated after the incident, showed police officers being tackled, punched, and trampled as a crowd of around 300 protesters broke through police lines in Melbourne’s inner suburbs of Richmond and Kew.

More than five years later, the Victorian County Court has heard detailed evidence about what unfolded that day, culminating in a sentencing decision involving protester Brendon MacIsaac, now 63, who was convicted of assaulting an on-duty emergency worker.

A day of protest amid rising COVID cases

On September 18, 2021, Victoria recorded 1,438 new COVID-19 cases as the state remained under strict lockdown restrictions. On the same day, authorities recorded 235 arrests and 193 fines for breaches of public health orders, while five police officers were hospitalised following clashes with protesters.

That afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators marched in defiance of lockdown rules, moving from Richmond toward Kew, where police attempted to block their advance.

Police line overwhelmed in Kew

Court proceedings heard that police formed a single line across Barkers Road near an old railway cutting in Kew in an effort to stop the march.

With only limited officers available, police attempted to contain the growing crowd using de-escalation tactics, including visible baton positioning and verbal commands.

However, video evidence shown in court confirmed that the situation quickly escalated as protesters surged forward, breaking through the police line.

Footage from the scene shows officers using pepper spray and batons as the crowd pushed through. One female officer was reportedly shoved to the ground and trampled during the chaos.

Attack on police officer

Judge Marcus Dempsey outlined the prosecution’s case in detail, describing how MacIsaac ended up at the front of the protest group as it reached the police barricade.

According to the judge, MacIsaac charged at a constable, grabbed hold of his baton, and refused to release it, causing the officer to lose balance and fall.

“He charged at him with his shoulder and grabbed hold of his baton,” Judge Dempsey said. “He would not let go.”

The court heard that MacIsaac then punched the officer in the face after the initial scuffle, causing him to fall again. The officer was later trampled by others in the crowd before being dragged to safety and taken to Epworth Hospital with minor injuries.

The judge said the officer had been clearly identifiable, on duty, and attempting to de-escalate the situation.

“You thought you would be coy or clever”

Police later identified MacIsaac using body-worn camera footage and arrested him shortly after the incident.

During questioning, he denied recognising himself in the footage, prompting Judge Dempsey to criticise his explanation.

“You thought you would be coy or clever and professed not to recognise the individual who was so clearly you,” the judge said.

“You went as far as to tell police that you must have a doppelganger.”

The court described his police interview as “fatuous”.

Judge: influenced by group behaviour

While condemning the assault, Judge Dempsey noted that MacIsaac appeared to have been influenced by the group dynamics of the protest.

He said the defendant “acted out of character” after finding himself in a volatile environment shaped by collective anger over lockdown measures.

“It seems implicit in your attendance at the protest that you had a distrust or scepticism about the government’s handling of the pandemic,” the judge said.

However, he emphasised that such views did not justify violence against police officers carrying out lawful duties.

Sentence handed down

MacIsaac was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond and released with a conviction recorded.

The injured officer declined to provide a victim impact statement to the court.

The Police Association of Victoria has been approached for comment.

A defining moment from a turbulent period

The case revisits one of the most volatile episodes of Victoria’s pandemic-era lockdown protests, a period marked by widespread civil unrest, mass arrests, and repeated clashes between demonstrators and police.

The newly examined footage and sentencing remarks have renewed discussion about the intensity of those protests and the pressures faced by frontline officers during the pandemic response.