BRISBANE, Australia (LifeSiteNews) — An elderly man collapsed into spasms and was in severe medical distress Monday after police arrested and handcuffed him for not wearing a mask in a wide-open public park, despite having been warned that the gentleman has breathing difficulties and a heart condition.
The horrifying scene took place in Brisbane, Australia’s Botanical Gardens where the man —who has a mask exemption because of his medical condition — had gone to exercise.
“This is TYRANNY! Elderly man arrested in Queensland park for not wearing a mask (he was exempt) then suffers heart attack. Are they trying to kill people with their terror?” asked a Twitter user.
This is TYRANNY! Elderly man arrested in Queensland park for not wearing a mask (he was exempt) then suffers heart attack. Are they trying to kill people with their terror? pic.twitter.com/CLSid2VnXq
— leilani dowding (@LeilaniDowding) August 3, 2021
“I’ve lost faith in humanity,” declared another. “[E]lderly gentleman in Queensland was arrested for no mask (he has a mask exemption). He was walking in Brisbane Botanical Gardens. Due to the arrest the gentleman suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest.”
The four arresting police officers were repeatedly warned by the man’s partner about his medical condition, which exempted him from wearing a mask and which required him to carry medication with him at all times.
As the man was led away by police he crumpled to the ground and his body began undergoing spasms. He is seen flailing around as he tried to reach for the medication in his backpack.
“Do you believe me now you pr*cks?,” asked the man’s female friend, who was filming the debacle, before taking control and retrieving the medicine from the man’s bag and administering it to him.
Government creating fear, using bullying tactics, robbing people of their voice
Joseph Merlino, who identified himself as the elderly man’s son, took to Instagram to describe his father’s ordeal and the danger it signals for the citizens of Australia:
This is exactly what the governments agenda is. corruption and control. This elderly man is my father. He was exercising in Botanical gardens, Brisbane with his partner on the 2th August at approximately 9:30am. He was stopped by 4 police and interrogated as to why he was there? and what he was doing? Why he wasn’t wearing a mask?
My father answered all these questions. He was here for exercise. He doesn’t need to wear a mask as he was exercising and he is exempt from wearing a mask. He suffers from heart problems, struggles to breathe. He carries medication with him at all times.
He did not do anything illegal. He did not retaliate in a violent manner. He was conducting himself in a peaceful manner. Not looking for trouble.
Why was he handcuffed? Why was he under arrest? What did he do wrong?
This doesn’t make sense. The government is forcing control by any means necessary. Creating fear and bullying tactics to make people not be … able to have a voice.
Merlino continued:
This hurt me today more then anything I’ve experience. seeing my father get arrested pushed to the ground by 4 police as he was having a seizure and having cardiac arrest. I havnt cried for many years and I balled my eyes out seeing him suffering that I couldn’t do anything or be there for him and feeling as a son to protect his father. His partner was right by his side helping my father as these police had no regard for his well-being making a joke of his seizure and not believing he had heart problems.
What would have happened if my father was by himself? Would my father be still alive? If it wasn’t for my dads partner being there to record this. Being there for him whilst these police were not taking his condition serious?
My father could have suffered Brain damage from this. Permanent injury or death. All for what because of a mask? Which he had all the medical requirements to not wear one for his own health
People need to see this is not democracy. Police are supposed to serve and protect and there is none of that happening here! This could happen to someone else’s father, Mother, Child, Grandparent, Friend. This will not stand and I will fight for my rights and my freedom.
De facto martial law
As reported earlier today by LifeSiteNews’s Raymond Wolfe, much of Australia has endured extreme lockdown rules in recent weeks, including obscure demands such as requiring balcony doors to be duct taped shut.
Officers arrested fifteen demonstrators and at least six other people in Brisbane on Monday and fined dozens more for alleged violations of restrictions. “The sound of a police helicopter hovering over inner-Brisbane was constant during the morning as the lockdown was enforced,” the Brisbane Times said.
Wolfe described the situation in Australia as “de facto martial law.”
LifeSiteNews has produced an extensive COVID-19 resources page. View it here.