Australia Covid: Sydney Christmas beach party sparks ‘backpacker’ deportation threat

#Melbourne, #Australia (CNN) — #Australia’s #Minister of #Immigration, #Citizenship and #Multicultural #Affairs has threatened to cancel the visas of any visitors caught breaking rules designed to prevent the spread of #Covid-19 in the country, after hundreds of people attended a beach party in #Sydney’s #Bronte #Beach on #Christmas #Day.

#Local journalist #Peter #Hannam, who walked by the event at 5 p.m., said a number of people in attendance were talking loudly in #British accents.

“These are the same people who would every summer gather at #Bondi #Beach or #Bronte or somewhere else because they want to show off to their northern hemisphere friends that it’s #Christmas and we’re in summer,” he said.

#Authorities were eventually forced to break up the event, with the state’s riot police deployed to assist in removing the crowd.

#One person, a 25-year-old man, was issued a court attendance notice for failing to comply with the “move on” direction, police said. “The remainder of the crowd complied and left the area,” police said in a statement.

“#Visitors to #Australia need to be very clear that if they breach public health orders they are threatening the health and safety of #Australians and the federal government will look at their visas,” he said in an interview with the #Australian #Broadcasting #Corporation on #December 29.