Anti-lockdown protester who 'mobbed a veteran journalist during violent rally' ...

Anti-lockdown protester who 'mobbed a veteran journalist during violent rally' ...
Anti-lockdown protester who 'mobbed a veteran journalist during violent rally' ...

A Covid-denying anti-lockdown protester who filmed himself allegedly assaulting a veteran TV journalist will remain behind bars. 

Guerino Scevola, known as Reno, attended Saturday's unauthorised protest in Sydney where he confronted 7 News reporter Robert Ovadia in Victoria Park, Chippendale, as he covered the rally. 

Scevola, 54, was arrested after detectives investigating the protest turned up to his Petersham home in the city's inner-west on Monday evening.      

Guerino Scevola (pictured), 54, has been charged over the incident at Sydney's anti-lockdown protest on Saturday in which a TV journalist was allegedly assaulted

Guerino Scevola (pictured), 54, has been charged over the incident at Sydney's anti-lockdown protest on Saturday in which a TV journalist was allegedly assaulted 

Mr Ovadia initially attempted to ignore the attention of the protestors by looking at his phone

He eventually addressed the man filming him before advancing until another man intervened

Mr Ovadia initially attempted to ignore the attention of the protesters by looking at his phone

He is charged with affray, two counts of common assault, steal from person and not comply with a police direction - along with possess a prohibited drug after detectives allegedly found cannabis at his house. 

Scevola appeared in court on Tuesday with his lawyer brother Salvatore acting as his defence and applied for bail.

His brother said Scevola, who has a previous criminal history including stints in jail, was not a risk to the public. 

'I have explained to him that he is in a lot of trouble as a result of him participating in that unauthorised rally,' he told Magistrate Jennifer Giles, reports The Daily Telegraph.

He added he'd gone to the protest solely because he was 'depressed' and 'traumatised' by lockdown. 

Mr Scevola claimed there was no evidence his brother had assaulted Mr Ovadia and if released he would not attend another protest planned for this weekend. 

But Ms Giles was not convinced and said most people were affected by lockdown yet still obeyed the law. 

'When you read those facts ... what he says is breathtaking, what he does is shameful. It is appalling behaviour, inciting violence and crime,' Ms Giles said.

'He is an uncontainable danger to the public, so I am against you on the application for conditional release.' 

In a video of the incident uploaded to Facebook, Mr Ovadia can be seen checking his phone at Victoria Park before he is approached by a man. 

He asks Ovadia whether he's a member of the media and who he works for, as the reporter focuses on his phone.  

'Are you one of us, brother? You're not with the media are you?'

A man picks up what is believed to be Mr Ovadia's phone as the reporter has an altercation with a man in the background

A man picks up what is believed

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