Australian Covid-sceptic church flouts curbs, declares Sydney lockdown ‘over’
- Police fined the Christ Embassy Sydney church US$3,600, and also issued US$715 fines each to 30 parishioners
- The church is part of an international religious group headquartered in Nigeria that has a record of spreading Covid-19 conspiracy theories
Australian police on Monday criticised a Sydney church for flouting the city’s Covid-19 lockdown by holding a service for 60 people in a pandemic hotspot.
The church is part of Christ Embassy, an international religious group headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, which has a record of spreading coronavirus conspiracy theories.
After being tipped off by residents on Sunday, police moved in on the Christ Embassy Sydney church, issuing a fine of A$5,000 (US$3,600) to the organisation and A$1,000 (US$715) fines to 30 parishioners.
In the name of Jesus we refuse every lockdown in our cities.
Australian media quoted a Facebook-streamed sermon on Sunday from the church in the western Sydney region’s Blacktown as saying: “In the name of Jesus we refuse every lockdown in our cities. We declare the lockdowns are over in the name of Jesus.”
The Sydney church did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
“It is always disheartening and disappointing when you see people blatantly take it upon themselves to contradict what we know works, to contradict what we know is keeping people out of hospital,” Gladys Berejiklian, premier of New South Wales state – of which Sydney is the capital – told a news conference.
“That is the key: to keep people out of hospital, to make sure that we keep people as safe and as healthy as possible. And we know the vaccine is having such a huge impact on that.”
