Australian City’s Housing Towers Look Like ‘Crime Scene’ After Hard COVID-19 Lockdown Orders

A sign is seen stuck to a window reading 'Treat us as humans not caged animals end this lockdown effective immediately' at the Flemington Public housing flats in Melbourne, Australia on July 05, 2020. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Victorian Council of Social Service CEO Emma King has urged the state in southeast Australia to “proportionately” handle its immediate hard lockdown of nine public housing towers in Melbourne.

There were “frightening” scenes last night as swarms of police descended upon the Flemington and North Melbourne housing estates, under orders from Victoria’s Labor Premier Daniel Andrews to enforce a mandatory lockdown of the housing towers, King said.