Hundreds of protestors have stormed Melbourne's CBD to rally against the looming five-day lockdown coming into force across Victoria from midnight.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday said Victoria had 'no choice' but to enter a snap statewide lockdown to contain a growing outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
The decision came after the state recorded two new cases, bringing the cluster to 18, which was sparked when NSW's outbreak was imported into Melbourne by a Sydney removalist working interstate.
But hundreds of angry residents did not agree with the premier, demanding he be sacked for plunging the state into its fifth lockdown.
Hundreds of protestors swarmed Melbourne's CBD on Thursday to rally against Victoria's fifth lockdown, coming into effect from midnight
Angry residents packed together as they chanted and held up signs, with some spouting claims the pandemic was not real
One man, carrying a sign suggesting the pandemic was not real, wore a shirt with a slogan urging Australians to avoid the Covid vaccine
Despite the wet weather, Victorians poured into Flinders Street holding up signs calling for freedom, with some reading 'lockdown kills' and 'a real pandemic needs no advertisement'.
Organisers leading the procession held a huge blue banner with the name of a anti-lockdown website scrawled across it, as they roused fellow protestors through a megaphone.
The lockdown objectors chanted as they marched through the streets, just hours before stay-at-home orders will be roll out across the state.
Face masks were noticeably absent among the crowd, with the exception of the police officers standing guard to monitor the demonstration.
From 11.59pm on Thursday, Victorians will only be able to leave home for five reasons - to shop for food and essential items, provide or receive care, exercise, work or study if they are unable to from home and to get vaccinated.
The same rules that applied during last month's lockdown will be reimposed, including a five-kilometre travel limit for exercise and shopping and compulsory masks indoors and outdoors.
Victorians braved the wet weather as they into Melbourne's CBD on Thursday night for a 'freedom rally' against the premier's latest Coronavirus measures
Face masks were noticeably absent from the sea of faces marching through Melbourne on Thursday night
The lockdown will end at 11.59pm on Tuesday, though restrictions in regional Victoria could be lifted earlier if it is safe to do so.
Mr Andrews said the state's contact tracers were moving faster than they ever have, but haven't been able to keep up with the
