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Novac Djokovic has not ruled himself out of the Australian Open despite a mandate that all players must be fully vaccinated, with Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley saying he expects “very few, if any” tennis champions to sit out the tournament.
Speaking from Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, Mr Tiley also ended speculation that tennis players may be able to bypass vaccine mandates to enter Victoria and the Australian Open next year and said he believed the rest of the world would enforce the same requirements on tennis players by 2022.
From left: Dylan Alcott, Martin Pakula and Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley at the Australian Open launch held at Rod Laver ArenaCredit:Jason South
He said just 50 per cent of the travelling player group were fully vaccinated six weeks ago, but that had shot up to 80 per cent since the announcement of the requirement from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and “is continuing to track towards 100 per cent”.
“There’s been a lot of speculation around Novac’s position. He has noted, and said publicly, that this is a private matter for him. But we would love to see Novac here,” Mr Tiley said.
“He knows he has to be vaccinated in order to play. He’s won the Australian Open nine times, I think he’d love to make it a double-digit to win 10 times. He’s also on 20 Grand Slam titles.”
A counter demonstration to one at Parliament House has grown in size at the corner of Russell Street and Victoria Streets, with chants attacking “anti-vaxxers” and “Nazis” at the protest at state parliament.
Rally spokesperson Nahui Jimenez said that the protest was aimed at showing solidarity with the health measures used during the pandemic, including vaccinations.
The counter demonstration on the corner of Russell Street and Victoria Streets.Credit:Tom Cowie
“We’re here to send a pro-health message,” she said. “We’re also here to stand in opposition to far right ideas.“
Some anti-government protestors walked past, carrying “kill the bill” posters, however there were no clashes so far.
Dozens of police are watching on.
One of our reporters on the ground, Melissa Cunningham, reports the protest is growing well into the thousands now.
Promoters of the rally against the bill had flagged they planned to march to Flagstaff Gardens on the western side of the CBD from Parliament.
Independent Victorian MP Dr Catherine Cumming is in attendance at today’s rally, marching at the front of the crowd.
Dr Cumming has been a regular fixture at the protests this week, and has promoted the protests on her Facebook page.
The Age reported on Friday that Ms Cumming was one of two crossbenchers most likely candidates to strike a deal wth the government to pass the bill.
But Dr Cumming indicated she wanted the government to wind back vaccine mandates, which is unlikely to be supported by Labor.
“I have requested that the government consults with all of the crossbench and the opposition,” she said in a statement.
Here’s another good way to get your head around a pretty bewildering week in Victorian politics.
State political editor Annika Smethurst joined Bianca Hall on our Please Explain podcast on Thursday to look at the road to this point.
There’s been some turns in the road since then of course but it holds pretty current if you want to understand why the proposed pandemic laws are so polarising.
The crowd has grown to several thousands, fifteen minutes before the protest officially starts.
An inflatable Dan Andrews is being waved in the air inscribed with the words ‘Punching Bag Dan’.
Protesters holding placards at Parliament HouseCredit:Jason South
A speaker is blaring the Tracey Chapman song Talkin’ Bout a Revolution and there now several young families at the protest, holding signs saying “Save our children” and “kids are not Guinea pigs”.
One young father who spoke to The Age, but asked not to be identified, said he was here with his two young children to protest the vaccine mandates.
“I’ve lost my job because I wouldn’t be forced to be vaccinated,” he said. “Our lives are at risk over this and we need to protect our children.”
The overwhelming scientific advice is that coronavirus vaccines in use in Australia are both safe and effective in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Protests are billed around the country today, with rallies to be held in capital cities Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and Darwin today, as well as a number of regional cities.
The protesters are a loose group who oppose vaccines, vaccine-mandates and passports and in Victoria, they oppose the government’s Pandemic Bill which is currently stalled in the upper house.
Many conspiracy theorists attend the protests and at least one protester in Melbourne is carrying a placard featuring Qanon slogans.
In Sydney Ex-Liberal MP Craig Kelly is slated to speak to the crowd, who The Age revealed today has recruited a number of key figures in the “freedom” movement for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.
In Melbourne, a counter ‘anti-fascist’ rally is planned to take place at the same time, with Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam and Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten endorsing the event.
Both Ms Ratnam and Patten have been focal points this week as the government works to convince crossbenchers to support its bill that would transfer public health powers from the Chief Health Officer to the Premier and Health Minister.
Hundreds of protestors opposing the state government’s pandemic bill and vaccine mandate have already arrived outside the steps of parliament in Melbourne’s CBD.
A chant has started and demonstrators are yelling “sack Dan Andrews and free Victoria”.
Protesters gathering on Saturday morning in downtown Melbourne.Credit:Melissa Cunningham
A speaker is blaring Love isn’t always on time by Toto as the crowd spills into Bourke Street.
Demonstrators are holding Australian flags and American flags with signs calling for the government to “kill the bill” and “we are not sheep we loved freedom.”
Melbourne is not the only place in the world where there is unrest. Europe is also witnessing sometimes violent protests as government’s grapple with rising cases and resistance to vaccine policies.
Violent demonstrations broke out in Rotterdam overnight over the Netherlands’ virus restrictions, with the police firing warning shots and deploying a water canon to push back the crowd.
Demonstrators in Rotterdam protest against government restrictionsCredit:AP
The police said in a statement that two people were injured “related to the fired shots” but said details of the injuries were unclear.
Tweets showed at least one car on fire with a bicycle thrown on top, amid the anger of hundreds of protesters, some reported to be soccer hooligans. With cases rising in the Netherlands, the government has proposed excluding negative tests from the national health pass, allowing only vaccination or recovery from infection.
Thousands also plan to descend on Vienna on Saturday to protest Austria’s latest Covid-19 measures, including a nationwide lockdown and vaccine mandate.
Austria’s domestic intelligence service has warned that protesters may attempt to enter hospitals after calls for “action” in anti-vaccine social media groups, the Krone reported, citing the interior ministry. Police increased presence around hospitals in the Salzburg and Upper Austria regions, current virus hot-spots.
Police urged demonstrators to stay at home, warning that more than 1,300 officers would be on the streets to enforce mask mandates and social distancing requirements.
Bloomberg
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2021-11-20 01:19:37Z
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