Australia vaccine-mandate protesters compare state govt to Nazis - media

FILE PHOTO: A nurse immuniser administers the AstraZeneca vaccine to a patient at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination clinic at the Bankstown Sports Club during a lockdown to curb an outbreak of cases in Sydney, Australia, August 25, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Several thousand people rallied in Melbourne against new vaccination mandates on Saturday, with a few comparing the state government to Nazis and calling for violence against politicians, local media said.

In Australia, where 83% of people aged 16 and above have been fully inoculated against the coronavirus, nationwide vaccinations are voluntary. But states and territories have mandated vaccinations for many occupations and barred the unvaccinated from activities such as dining out and concerts.