Cop claims that elderly female lockdown protestor was actually a young man

Video footage has emerged of a Victorian police officer claiming that an elderly female protestor who was knocked to the ground and pepper-sprayed, was actually a young man in a wig trying to make the police ‘look bad.’ 

In the wake of recent anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protests, Victoria Police have faced growing scrutiny regarding their heavy-handed tactics towards protestors and attempts to censor media coverage.

Images of what appears to be an unarmed elderly woman being knocked over and pepper-sprayed by police made headlines across the globe in recent weeks, but footage of a Victorian police officer claiming that the elderly woman was actually a young man has fuelled a number of online conspiracy theories.

In the video, a male protestor who is filming a female police officer can be heard referring to the ‘bashing’ of the elderly woman – which then prompted a stunning reply from the police officer.

“That was a 36-year-old male, that was dressing up as a 70-year-old grandmother, to make us look bad.”

While it is clear that the individual in question is wearing a black wig while being pepper-sprayed, a number of other photos from throughout the day show the same individual up close without the wig.

Misinformation regarding Melbourne’s protests has been rife on social media in recent weeks, sparking online feuding between those in support of lockdown and those in support of protests.

A recent statement by Victoria police to the Daily Mail has failed to quell ongoing rumours. 

“Victoria Police is aware of a video on social media showing an interaction between police and a protestor in Melbourne on Saturday.”

It continued, “All parties involved in the incident circulating on social media have been identified and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.”