Brave police horse Tobruk has been spoiled with carrots, apples and black liquorice treats after being punched by a protester during Sydney s anti-lockdown rally.
Tobruk and his rider were managing thousands of demonstrators who marched in the city s CBD in protest against the city s lockdown on Saturday.
In the midst of the chaos, a man approached the mounted policeman and allegedly struck the 13-year-old thoroughbred, which emerged from the incident uninjured.
Tobruk s rider, Senior Constable Patrick Condon, (left) said his beloved horse Tobruk had received carrots, apples, chocolate and liquorice from grateful Sydneysiders
Other anti-lockdown protestors hurled flower pots at mounted officers, covering them with soil, and another policeman was splattered with dark ink.
Two demonstrators have been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly attacking police horses during Saturday s violent anti-lockdown protests.
The despicable moment a maskless rioter allegedly punched a horse named Tobruk was caught on camera and prompted an immediate investigation, with authorities putting a public call out online to help track down the person involved.
But there were several other incidents throughout the day in which other officers on horseback were pelted with rocks and pot plants as the riots got out of hand.
On Sunday, 33-year-old Kristian Polkownik and 36-year-old Remon Korkise will face Parramatta Local Court for their treatment of animals during the demonstration.
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Fifty-seven people have been charged, including two men for allegedly striking a police horse, following an anti-lockdown protest that shut down the city on Saturday.
NSW Police have set up a strike force comprising 22 detectives who worked through the night to track down more than 3500 protesters who breached coronavirus restrictions and marched through Sydney’s CBD to protest widespread lockdowns. Ninety fines have already been issued.
Kristian Pulkownik, pictured, has been charged with affray, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal and not complying with a noticed direction in relation to COVID-19.
Tens of thousands of enraged Australians took to city streets to protest against Covid restrictions.
Scenes near Sydney s Town Hall station descended to chaos by early afternoon, with demonstrators attacking officers and police horses with pot plants, rocks and ink.
On Sunday, NSW Police released a list with the names of 21 men who were all due to appear in Parramatta Local Court for their involvement in the protests.
Known Covid denier Joseph Mekhael, who was in court just five months ago for similar offences, was among those named by police. Smokin Joe was previously charged with two counts of failing to comply with public health orders after he allegedly organised two unauthorised protests in Sydney.
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And singer Jack Vidgen was just as scathing, writing, You re foolish and embarrassing, of those taking part in the Sydney anti-lockdown rally.
Responding to the now viral image of one coward punching a police horse, radiographer and reality star Brittany Hockley seethed, This is absolutely disgusting .
Fighting nonsense with logic: Abbie Chatfield (pictured), Jack Vidgen, Venus Behbahani-Clark and more took to social media to blast those who took to the streets and broke out in violent scuffles in a variety of Australian cities on Saturday
Speaking his mind: Singer Jack Vidgen was just as scathing, writing, You re foolish and embarrassing, of those taking part in the Sydney anti-lockdown rally