A Victorian woman has been charged for allegedly inciting a protest against COVID-19 restrictions in the city's CBD.
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Ballarat detectives executed a search warrant at a Miners Rest, Ballarat, address on Wednesday afternoon, where a 28-year-old woman was arrested.
A video of the arrest, in which the pregnant woman is seen wearing pink plaid pyjamas, was shared to social media and has now been shared thousands of times.
She records on a phone as a masked detective wearing plain clothes presents the search warrant to her and explains why she is being arrested, as a man and child look on.
She is then placed in handcuffs.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said the arrest was in relation to a prohibited gathering planned in Ballarat on Saturday, September 5.
The woman's arrest was part of an ongoing investigation into the planning and encouragement of protest activity in Ballarat and follows other arrests in Melbourne.
The Courier has chosen not to say when or where the protest was planned.
"Any gathering of this nature is in blatant breach of the Chief Health Officer's directions and puts Victorian lives at risk," the spokesperson said.
Police seized a mobile device from the woman's home.
The woman was taken into custody and interviewed in relation to the offence of incitement, and was charged on Wednesday afternoon.
Those still thinking of attending the protest in Ballarat on Saturday can expect a swift and firm response from police.
- Victoria Police spokesperson
"We will have no hesitation in issuing $1,652 fines to anyone who is breaching the restrictions on the day, or making arrests if necessary."
The woman was bailed to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on January 25, 2021.