Public transport shutdown planned to thwart protests

The Victorian Council for Civil Liberties has criticised the decision in a public statement on Twitter, describing the shutdown as "military-style".

"As COVID numbers continue to rise, we do not support large public gatherings that don't engage in mask-wearing and social distancing, including protests," the statement said.

"However, we are concerned that Victoria Police's military-style tactics could be normalised and deployed against future responsible protests."