“While we live in a new world age and social activism is becoming more popular, people need to be aware of the potential consequences which may flow from exercising the right to protest while much of the nation is reeling from the effects of COVID-19 and under orders from territory, state and federal governments,” Creevey Russell Lawyers principal Dan Creevey said.

“But the right to protest and government public health orders have been competing since the outbreak of the pandemic early last year, with numerous anti-lockdown rallies raising fears of super spreader events.”

Mr Creevey's comments come after thousands of NSW and Victorian locked-down residents recently disobeyed stay-at-home orders to protest against the restrictions brought upon their home state, most notably those who reside in Sydney and Melbourne. 

Creevey Russell crime and misconduct division lawyer Craig van der Hoven said the issue came to a head recently in NSW when Anthony Khallouf was charged with orchestrating Sydney's protest and later jailed for eight months.

“The protesters in the Khallouf case saw themselves as ‘above public health rules’ and simply ‘drawing out the pain for everyone else’,” he said.

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“COVID-19 poses a real risk to vulnerable members of our community and Mr Khallouf encouraging thousands of people to come out against the government orders was viewed as a danger to the community.

“While we are in strange times and we may not agree with the Public Health Orders imposed, we need to ensure that we comply with government orders as there are significant consequences for failing to do so.”