Several thousand people rallied in Melbourne against new vaccination mandates on Saturday, November 13, with a few comparing the state government to Nazis and calling for violence against politicians, local media said.

In Australia, where 83% of people aged 16 and above have been fully inoculated against the coronavirus, nationwide vaccinations are voluntary. But states and territories have mandated vaccinations for many occupations and barred the unvaccinated from activities such as dining out and concerts.

The Melbourne demonstration against the vaccination mandate that came into effect on Saturday - requiring construction workers in Victoria state to be fully inoculated - was peaceful, The Age newspaper said.

Australia has seen frequent, occasionally violent, anti-vaccine rallies in recent few months, though the movement remains small, with polls showing nationwide opposition in the single digits.

Victoria, the second-most populous state with a quarter of Australia’s 25 million people, has an 87% vaccination rate and has endured six COVID-19 lockdowns totalling nearly nine months.

(Source: Reuters)