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A confounding video has emerged of a pastor declaring "the lockdowns are over" during a church service in Blacktown that resulted in more than 30 fines after a group of about 60 men, women and children attended against public health orders.
Police were called to the Christ Embassy Sydney onFourth Ave in Blacktown about 7.30pm on Sunday following reports from locals on Crime Stoppers.
When officers arrived, they found a group of about 60 participating in a sermon, a statement from NSW Police said.
More police officers were called to the venue to help break up the gathering and collect details of those at the location, and people in attendance were ordered to return home.
Halfway through the 90-minute service, Christ Embassy Sydney pastor Marvin Osaghae said, "We declare the lockdowns are over... in the name of Jesus... lockdowns are over in the cities of NSW."
Before that claim, Osaghae also said: "Businesses are returning to normal, every park is coming back alive, the streets are coming back alive… in the name of Jesus, we refuse every lockdown."
Osaghae's message could have been lost in translation as he also declared "peace returns to Afghanistan".
But the public health orders breaches were crystal clear and NSW Police handed out about $35,000 in fines to the crowd.
Police said further investigation revealed there was no QR code at the entry to the building, and attendees had come from other LGAs, including Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool.
Social media users commented on the church's Facebook post, with one saying: "Seriously guys, gathering a crowd together from many restricted LGAs is so disappointing."
Adults at the service were issued $1000 penalty infringement notices for failing to comply with a noticed direction under the health orders.
Christ Embassy Sydney pastor Marvin Osaghae declared Covid lockdowns were over. Photo / Supplied
The church was fined A$5000 ($5226) for failing to comply with a noticed direction.
Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool are among the 12 LGAs of concern, meaning they are subject to tougher lockdown rules than the rest of Sydney.
Under these rules, residents may not travel further than 5km from their home.
"I'm actually quite stunned," Police Minister David Elliott told 2GB of the incident on Monday morning.
"When you consider that churches are there to profess the message of hope and love, and to have those people just endanger communities because they are potentially going to spread a virus is extraordinary."
He added: "If cathedrals can stream online their services, I don't understand why suburban churches in Blacktown can't."
Despite the crowd in attendance, the service did appear to have also been streamed on the church's Facebook page.
