Police won’t hesitate to fine protesters who breach COVID-19 restrictions at Australia Day ‘Invasion Day’ demonstrations.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott told Chris Smith he’s not confident the “defiant” organisers will restrict numbers to less than 500, and could go to the Supreme Court again to stop the protest in its tracks.

Mr Elliott pointed out the poorer health outcomes among the Indigenous population, and said protesters will bear guilt if they infect their own with the deadly virus.

“Nobody understands the plight of the Indigenous people, nobody’s more sympathetic than me.

“But having an illegal protest that is going to endanger the lives of those that attend the protest … is not the way to go ahead.

“It is tantamount, in my mind, to neglect.”

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Image: Getty Images/Zakarij Kaczmarek