Jackboot comes down on happy beachgoers.
Following a sparkling day at Bondi Beach where the temperature scratched one hundred degrees (38 c) and tanned bodies lay everywhere in seductive piles thereby failing to implement “social distancing”, and the subsequent outrage on social media, the NSW government has shuttered the famous beach to the public.
Here’s a taste of the outrage.
Yep, we’ve made the Big Time. Our world class stupidity. https://t.co/RqO7sCzgcP
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) March 20, 2020
I can’t not say anything. As a #GP working in #Bondi and living in this area with my children, I am appalled at the lack of disregard by many for how serious this all this. #Bondi this is NOT #SocialDistancing. You are contributing to the spread of #covid 😡 pic.twitter.com/jCtXV6gght
— Amandeep (@Dochansra) March 20, 2020
Such wrath from the vulgar bourgeoise.
In response and with social media now driving public policy, the NSW government said it was shutting down the beach, effective immediately.
From the national broadcaster,
The closure is temporary and the measure will extend to other beaches if social-distancing rules, which have banned non-essential outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people, are being flouted.
NSW Police Minister David Elliott ordered the beach to be shut on Saturday afternoon.
I just walked down to examine how the ban is being implemented.
Scores of cops on horses? Temporary fences?
And what counts as the beach, the sand to the high-water mark? The grassy bits? The neighbourhood bars and yoga studios, currently brimful?
No official response on the ground yet.
Will report as it happens.
Meanwhile, four-foot, low-tide closeouts pound a straight sandbank.
Could be good on the late high.
Will paddle around from behind Icebergs, least crowded day of the year I would suggest.
Update: Cops arriving to patrol beach access. Lifeguards have ordered the smattering of people off the beach; clubbies in inflatable raft ordered surfers, including me, out of the water.
Other beaches could follow, warns the government, if people remain “defiant.”
No word, yet, on how long the ban will remain in effect, perhaps once the people can prove they’re no longer defiant etc.
Does this mean “Bondi Rescue” is cancelled!
Some tasty little wedges at Bronte this morning. Upon returning to shore, they were getting ready to shut the place down…..the message is to get out there early!
all the beaches are closed her in southeast cakalaky.
yes, yes they are. Right when the beautiful weather arrived. Alas the idiots couldn’t refrain from mobbing the beach ruining it for those of us that just wanted to snag a waist hi wave. I surfed in boardies yesterday ) :
its still cold “up north” here in cakalaky beach actually been think of moving further south… the washout looks like a fun spot
The officer on the right in that photo… the way his hands are… here I thought that was the way officers in my sad sack of a country (The U.S.) held their hands on duty to contain their inner anger at the general public. Is there a universal hand book the rest of us are unaware of?
#400yearsofDumbWhitePeople
Kenny Loggins just died.
No more ‘Taking it to The Danger Zone.’
Kenny Rogers, I thought…
Oh. Right.
Well. I’d still like to offer condolences to the family of Kenny Loggins.
know when to hold ‘em, CB
“I can’t not” say anything “Lack or disregard ” is that even a thing ? With doctors who maul English like that we are well fucked in this virus situation, glad I live a long way from fucking Bondi. Armindeep-shit
Quite right. Probably best to steer clear of ANY surf line up ANYWHERE in the world right now, for perhaps the rest of your life. Only the festering sick would consider it and they probably won’t make it back to shore.
If you are new-ish to surfing, heed this advice.
The jackboot comes down on the bearded neck tattoo , man bun set at Bondi! Second offence and no dirty chai latte for you sir!
It’s time to turn Merica into the OP Riot!!
I think that officer is too tall to be Mr. Hall.
Pretty sure the poster ‘Amandeep’ was merely annoyed that she couldn’t have a quieter beach experience with her children and thought taking to Twitter would be a good method of revenge.
wow Bondi… your cops are super intimidating.
I wonder if they miss you?
Is anyone out at Pipe?
I’m thinking about getting out of the city next week and going to work from (someone else’s) home up the coast.
And rich with the blood of shredded humans
Grim. Kicked out of the actual surf. Only snapper gathers more than 500 strong lineup of us at anytime. This needs explaining to the social media pundits.
yeah getting booted from the surf is taking it too far.. I ride my moped down to Queensie which is like 2km, don’t ride in a car with anyone, or bus, and then paddle str8 out. How is that a dangerous?
Restricting water access too, heavy. Wouldn’t put Gladys to make it state wide.
Luckily the likes of CB and myself have a national park beach with lots of hidden trails at our front door.
Not to mention plenty of other gems round the way. Can’t shut em all!
HE’S BEING SARCASTIC TOO. DON’T COME HERE EXPECTING BEACHES!!!
IT’S NOT SAFE!!!
No one will have petrol money soon. It’s all g homie!
SAVE YOUR PETROL FOR BURNING ALL YOUR SURFBOARDS.
WATER NOT SAFE: SHARKS AND VIRUSES.
STAY AWAY.
SHush!!!
What Surfads actually means is sarcasm. He’s snarkily referring to the miles of forbidding cliffs, upon which the always-choppy sea smashes directly upon.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME COMING HERE!!!
According to the SMH, the beach will stay open but numbers will be restricted to 500.
That’s racist. Somehow.
Boggles the mind. Will they have a ticketing system like the Coles deli
That gets kinda heavy sometimes. Locals getting automatic rights to the set-waves of the last portions of peri-peri chicken and similar.
I suspect the initial overreaction was all the doing of the Police and Emergency Services Minister, David Elliott, possibly the biggest boofhead in NSW politics.
This guy in the past year has:
– led the NSW Police charge into grossly unnecessary strip searching of civilians everywhere, including underage kids at festivals
– tried to pretend he was a policeman during a traffic incident in which he managed to get himself involved
– secretly went on holidays to England in late December 2019 in the middle of the bushfire crisis AFTERthe Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, had already been lambasted for secretly going on holidays to Hawaii
– was recently caught firing a sub machine gun at a weapons range without a licence or clearance, then tried to blame the weapons range for not obeying the law.
He is a crippling boofhead who should not be in charge of anything to do with the current situation.
‘Biggest boofhead in NSW politics’ is a tough gong to earn, but you’re right. He’s done a hell of a job.
I think “boofhead” is a very kind descriptor. This is the guy who would be happy to have the police strip search his own kids if there was any suspicion they’d been breaking the law.
Sounds like a Great Australian to me.
Fences up. Cops on Campbell Parade. Surf emptied. Clubbies joyous at new powers.
But nearby beaches still open?
I think they’re all closed tomorrow. Randwick council (Coogee -> south to La Perouse) are closing everything tomorrow. Pretty crazy.
Chief Bondi clubber on tv right now digging the spotlight.
Does this mean “Bondi Rescue” is cancelled!
That’s rediclous.
Noone is THAT old!!!
My number is 49, and I feel some days I won’t last til 70, let alone 500.
Even dumber becuase the older people are the most at risk’s !!!!!
“According to SMH” – one hack quoting another. But here’s a tip from the south west of france where surfing has been illegal for a two weeks and work is frowned upon on a normal day… get a subscription and a projector.