British comedian Russell Brand has thrown his support behind “freedom fighter” protestors in Melbourne in a new rant about Australia’s “terrifying” COVID measures.
Brand quoted an article by The Grayzone which labelled quarantine facilities “internment camps” and said he “stood with Australians” who have been protesting lockdown rules and vaccine mandates.
“‘You feel like you’re in prison. Like you’ve done something wrong. It’s inhumane what they’re doing.’,” Brand quoted from the article.
‘I suppose the argument is that the coronavirus is so lethal, so deadly, any measure necessary to protect human life must be taken,’ he said.
“Some people would contest that brings to the forefront question about liberty, potential hypocrisy where we are not so concerned about this in other areas, and of the qualitative aspects of life.”
The comedian said it was important to see things through the “lens of human freedom and democracy,” acknowledging that the regulations enforced throughout the pandemic were “divisive.”
He argued that if the notions of “freedom and democracy” were to be put aside, there should surely be some “statute of limitation” on how long the regulations would last, how far-reaching they are, and if they can be revoked, amongst other things.
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“These are all questions I would like to see openly discussed in an open democracy,” Brand said.
“Not because I have a particular opinion, or a particular outcome in mind, but because of my strong belief that true democracy can and must incorporate conversation, and is utterly contingent on the consensus of the governed.”
He also took aim at the police in Melbourne cracking down on protesters with riot gear and pepper spray.
‘If you can’t protest against something what does that suggest?’ he said.
This isn’t the first time Brand has gone up against COVID legislature.
He caused a stir as recently as September, when he shared tips on how people could avoid safety measures to attend his stand-up comedy tour in the UK.
This was in stark contrast to his response at the start of the pandemic, when he cancelled a sold-out gig in Perth because a woman with the virus recently attended the same venue.
“We have to SADLY CANCEL TONIGHT’S SHOW IN #PERTH because there has been a CONFIRMED CASE OF CORONAVIRUS in someone who attended a recent show and I am not happy with risk for me or for any of you,” he tweeted at the time.
Watch Russell Brand’s full rant about Australia’s “draconian” COVID regulations here:
