A PORT Macquarie-based man, who is named as the founder of a worldwide 'freedom' movement, was arrested for allegedly breaching lockdown rules in Sydney.
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Brady Kenneth Gunn, 45, who is named on Facebook as the leader of the movement A Stand In The Park, appeared in court on the weekend.
Mr Gunn faced charges of not complying to a public safety order and not wearing a fitted face covering in a public transport waiting area.
Police said he was arrested at a home in Oatley on Saturday, July 31 after allegedly travelling on trains outside his local government area without a reasonable excuse. He was charged at Kogarah Police Station.
He was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, August 1.
Police will allege in court that Mr Gunn was involved in organising an unauthorised protest.
The magistrate granted Mr Gunn conditional bail. He has been banned from using social media platforms.
A 'freedom march' brought together thousands of protestors for a mass rally along the streets of Sydney on July 24 objecting to the state's lockdown laws.
A Stand In The Park, which widely promoted the Sydney march, shared numerous livestreams from the rally to an online audience of more than 41,000 followers. The group's Facebook page also includes live discussions about the 'Great Awakening' and the 'Great Reset' as well as anti-mask, anti-vaccine content.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller described the organisers as "anarchists" who, unlike Black Lives Matter protesters who took to the streets in June last year, did not formally register their rally.
A special strike force of detectives was established to analyse footage from social media, CCTV and police-worn body cameras to identify and punish those who defied stay-at-home orders.
More than 60 people have been charged and 250 infringement notices have been issued.
Smaller park gatherings were held on the same weekend in a string of regional locations.
A Stand In the Park gatherings have been held regularly in locations including Port Macquarie. The groups, operating in communities across Australia, meet every Sunday between 10am and 11am at a local park.
Mr Gunn is named on the Facebook page as the founder of the movement which also has a following in the UK, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Netherlands and Malta.
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