Covid 19 coronavirus Victoria: Melbourne anti-masker arrested at train station after rant

Dan Patterson filmed himself confronting police over wearing a mask. Photo / Screenshot

A Melbourne "anti-masker" has been arrested after a filming himself arguing with security officers and calling them "communist" and "evil".

A Melbourne "anti-masker" has been arrested after a filming himself arguing with security officers and calling them "communist" and "evil".

"It's terrible, what you're doing it's evil, it's communist, it's evil and it's sad that you have to do this," the man tells Protective Services Officers in the video.

The man insists that "I haven't committed any crime", but the officer informs him that under Section 203 of the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 "you're required to wear a mask".

"Failure to do so gives us the power to command your name and address," he says.

"Failure to provide us with your name and address and identification to our satisfaction will ensure that we arrest you."

Posted by Nick Patterson on Tuesday, 4 August 2020

It comes as Victoria's harsh stage 4 shutdown begins, a day after the state suffered its worst 24 hours of the coronavirus pandemic with a record 725 new cases and 15 deaths, including the state's youngest victim – a man in his 30s.

"These are the decisions I've made because they are the only option we have in order to try and drive these numbers down," Premier Daniel Andrews said yesterday.