Police arrest hundreds of protesters as Australia reports record COVID-19 cases

Masked police officers patrol the quiet city centre during a lockdown to curb a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, August 20, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australian police arrested hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday and seven officers were hospitalised as a result of clashes, as the country saw its highest ever single-day rise in COVID-19 cases.

Mounted police used pepper spray in Melbourne to break up crowds of more than 4,000 surging toward police lines, while smaller groups of protesters were prevented from congregating in Sydney by a large contingent of riot police.