Men’s No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is allowed to play in the Australian Open again after a judge quashed the decision to cancel his visa – but the Australian Government has issued a new threat to cancel the visa regardless. The Telegraph has the story.
The 20-time grand slam champion will be released within the hour and have his passport returned to him following a dramatic conclusion to a bizarre day in federal court.
However, the fiasco threatens to continue after it was revealed immediately after the verdict that Australia’s immigration minister has retained the right to exercise personal power to revoke Djokovic’s visa again.
The tennis star was detained at a Melbourne airport on Thursday after authorities said he did not meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
He was subsequently taken to the Park Hotel, a quarantine facility in the city, after being held at the airport overnight and was told he would be removed from the country.
But on Monday a federal judge jumped to Djokovic’s defence and demanded to know what more the tennis star could have done to prove to Australian authorities that he was entitled to enter the country.
Admitting he was “somewhat agitated”, Judge Kelly said the tennis star had provided evidence from “a professor and an eminently qualified physician” about a medical exemption.
“What more could this man have done?” the judge demanded.
After a lengthy adjournment, Judge Kelly read out a minute agreed by both parties to make the ruling, and he also ordered the Government to cover Djokovic’s legal costs.
The world No. 1 can now theoretically begin preparations for defending his title at the Australian Open on Monday but could face another legal battle.
Immediately after the ruling, Christopher Tran, a lawyer representing the Australian Government, informed the court that immigration minister Alex Hawke reserves her personal power to remove Djokovic from Australia and said that they are considering a second notice of cancellation.
Shocking that even when the Government is told it has mistreated a person – who should be an honoured guest in the country – and ordered to pay his legal costs it doubles down by continuing to threaten him with deportation using the Minister’s ‘personal power’. That’s tyranny, right there, folks.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: The Spectator‘s Emily Hill says Djokovic has earned the right to have an opinion on whether he would benefit from being vaccinated.
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If all the players were to refuse to play until the government follows the rule of law, we’d see just how much ‘power’ the minister had.
I noticed that Andy Murray has even given Novak his support, albeit rather weakly but it’s a start I suppose.
Headline needs an update:
DJOK SHOCK Novak Djokovic chaos as cops pepper-spray fans swarming car after claims he was arrested after anti-vax court win
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/17271925/novak-djokovic-arrested-victory-appeal-australian-open/
CHAOS has erupted in Australia following claims Novak Djokovic was arrested after his anti-vax court win as cops fired pepper-spray at fans.
Pictures show tumultuous scenes amid a day of farce in Melbourne as fuming supporters of the tennis ace swarmed a car leaving his lawyer’s office as police battled to move them on.
The havoc came after Srdjan Djokovic, the father of the world’s number one, bizarrely claimed anti-vaxxer his son was detained following a judge ruling for him to be freed from quarantine.
But in contradiction to his dad’s arrest claims to Pavlovic Today, Djokovic’s brother then reportedly told SportKlub that the tennis player is “with his lawyers” as ministers want to “capture and lock him up”.
With the situation unclear, hundreds of outraged Djokovic supporters formed huge crowds outside his lawyer’s office in Melbourne as groups blocked a car they believed to be carrying the tennis star.
Fans clashed with police who used pepper-spray in a bid to control them as they chanted Djokovic’s nickname and hurled bottles as tensions escalated.
Djokovic’s dad was due to hold a press conference at 11am (GMT), but this has reportedly been delayed until 1pm (GMT).
Reports in Australian media have cited government sources denying he has been arrested and said he remains with his lawyers.
Yet another unnecessary shitshow to add to covid’s long and murky tally.
It would have been one thing if the Australian government had just banned Djokovic but they purposefully and publicly entrapped him which is quite obvious to all those willing to see.
I can understand Murray thinking Djokovic should get vaccinated but he’s right about how badly the government has handled this.
It’s cynical gesture poltics.
I can’t understand why Murray would think anyone should get ‘vaccinated’. After all, it’s an unlicensed and inadequately tested therapy. Why should he think others should be willing to take the risk that he has himself?
Yeah, but his stupid brother Jamie, is on record as saying he supports the natzies and thinks the other Jock should be barred.
Mummy probably told him to say that.
If that was extended to all sportspeople and they showed the solidarity (and the power they have – they love their sport in Oz) they should have shown from the start, her power would be limited to clearing her desk and vacating her office by the end of the afternoon.
He should also sue them for loss of earnings, which in his case would be several million pounds.
If the immigration minister were to exercise her power, and go against the court’s ruling, then no if’s or but’s, Novak should declare that henceforth he gas no desire to set foot in that country ever again.
Not only that, I would like to hope that fellow tennis players (and other sports persons as well) would condemn what has clearly been a case of bullying retribution by the Australian govt.
Some say, if Novak were to play then it would be a victory. Perhaps, in a way. But I say he should boycott Aus tennis. More than that, I think a more powerful/meaningful victory would be if a majority of tennis players were to boycott Aus tennis. If Novak plays, then that gives the govt a black-eye, yes, but they would still arrogantly and vindictively carry on with no less spitefulness. However, if he were to boycott Australia (not just tennis), because of how rotten and vindictive the supposedly free and tolerant country has become – then I think that would maybe hurt them more, enough to perhaps shock or force them to climb down in general.
The powerful thing about Novac boycotting, would be that it could not be seen as simply an act of sour-grapes – he has a completely valid right to play, and the govt have acted in a clearly unreasonable and vindictive manner towards him from the outset.
Novax should take them to court for calling this circensus the “Australian Open”
Or boycott until the rotten festid Aussie govt is booted out (or themselves locked up). Novak can also make this personal, whilst simultaneously showing that he still has respect for the Aussie people..
I see the dark hand of the Chinese Communist Party here.
Australia has been heavily subverted by the CCP, it’s had-won freedoms given up so easily by a country that has lost the love of the truth.
I think this has been made clearer by the day – Australia is coveted by the Chinese fo its mineral wealth . With its relatively tiny scattered population, it will soon be in their pocket.
So has the UK – the UK is heavily subverted by the CCP and we have MANY treasonous politicians who are opening the door to these people. All KISSINGER fanboys are 100percent suspect in this.
Clive James noted that too many Australians are descended from prison guards.
No subversion was needed.
Djokovic should now take the opportunity to end this Circus. Call a press conference and say F#ck Australia and it’s Neo-fascist, psychotic dictatorship, I’m offsky! He should now use his massive social media platform to expose the absolute premeditated evil of their agenda…
Australians should fund the re-runnnig of the Australian Open – outside Australia!
Theyd censor it.
Djokovic should just leave Australia in principle now. Why anyone would want to go to such lengths to get into an authoritarian dystopian hell hole such as Australia is beyond me. There will be other tennis tournaments he can play in. We should all boycott Australia on principe now.
I won’t be going to any of the new tinpot dictatorships
Wait until it arrives here – Johnson and Gove are salivating at the thought – “King of the World” and his Minion!
I won’t be ever setting foot in this shit hole or NZ ever again.
You almost typed ‘Princip’ there! How appropriate!
A Serb lit the touch paper which started WW1, perhaps another Serb will light another touch paper to start the “fight back” against the war of terror being waged against the people of the world?
Well done Novak. Its funny how when this bs enters a court room, the zealots lose.
They are trying to silence the Courts along with the opposition social media.
They have given themselves another 8 years to impose this totalitarian Globalist Tyranny of the Corporates, the corrupt Banks the UN and the Super Rich.
At least everyone will see them for the tinpot tyrants they are now.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall at the next National Cabinet meeting.
He is performing a great service for the whole world. His example will be a precedent to destroy covidianism in Australia.
And he will win this slam in style.
Triumph of the individual over the system!
Novak, you honourable man!
We desperately need him to win – something must bring down the gang destroying Australia!
He will win with the genius of righteous fury.
At least the mindless Fascism of the evil mentally. deranged gang who have captured Australia with their Covid Lies on behalf of the WEF, is made clear to the World.
Serbia should recall their Ambassador and break off relations.
Nigel Farage just said that if the immigration minister overturns cthis decision, that would be no different to a banana republic.
You know, I think that’s about right.
Now more like a Chop Suey and Bat Soup republic
barana wepubwic
Sky news reported said the Judge was quite outspoken and didn’t mince words in the hearing. Gave minister a bloody nose by all accounts. Am thinking that in response minister IS likely to overturn court’s decision, if only to show courts and public who is in charge of this show.
I’d be very surprised if Novak is allowed to stay and play.
For an entertaining summary of the day’s proceedings, here’s a link to Emily’s tweets at Voice for Victoria.
The show must go on…
Dont forget that Australia has a Union Jack on its flag – so the British State is complicit with the tyranny in Australia and they are doing NOTHING to counter it. We have a BIG PROBLEM of traitors in our government and our institutions.
Oikophobia is the only racist problem in the west
There was a quip that went around decades ago that suggested that a ‘well balanced Australian’ had a chip on both shoulders. In this case one chip is that they ‘know’ everything about how viruses transmit and infect, and ‘know’ they can control it, and the other is that they ‘know’ how the immune system works and they ‘know’ that only vaccines will save Australia.
Unfortunately they have infected all our politicians with their ‘knowledge’.
Meanwhile their senior politicians blame the likes of Djokovic for being entitled and bringing the virus into Australia, to which the only comment is ‘hypocrites’ as the worst offenders are senior politicians, diplomats, and very rich interfering busybodies like Gates and his WHO buddies. On the theme of diplomats sidestepping regulations and spreading diseases, who exactly are the 4 diplomats from whom the first 4 omicron cases in the World were analysed.
Djokovic is the number one player in the world not the “men’s” number one. It’s like reading bbc sport.
Person doesn’t need jabs, for health reasons. Person told to have jabs, because it’s not about health reasons.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/australian-govt-weighs-whether-bar-djokovic-3-years-after-judge-orders-immediate
The most recemt turn of events there.
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/hating-novak-has-become-national-sport-australia
I think this is the most telling, sick and significant development in the whole Novak saga, the stuff described by Desmet, Eisenstein, LeBon&co and transferable to this lot as a whole and to most other circumstances, like masks and vaccines:
“We have to hate him… If Novak is not the devil, then we are all fools – fools for acquiescing to increasingly nonsensical demands and fools for agreeing to endlessly shifting Covid goal posts.”
Australia is lost.
In other words, the Australian government has decided it doesn’t need to obey the law.
In the end, it all boils down to the good old law of the jungle, the only working law out there. But we like to have illusions to the contrary.
Lockdown is totalitarian and Australia has been the most locked down nation on Earth so it is consistent that the Australian government would do this.
The silence of the other tennis players is deafening. Not only is Djoko the number 1 player, but he also appears to be the only player with both a brain and a backbone.
Apart from the retired Pat Cash?
Yes, perhaps the exception proves the rule
Half of me would like Djoko to stick two fingers up and leave freely. Hopefully accompanied by at least half of the other players and leave the Nadals and other Gates cocksuckers there in a half arsed attempt at the Open. But I have no doubt he’s far too professional and respectful of his supporters to do so.
Victoria has been a banana republic since before the virus circulated but Andrews as well as the Federal Govt (and govt border and police agencies) have really overstepped the mark here. It takes a wealthy high profile sportsman to challenge this in court. They know the rest of us have no option but to comply.
What happens when the unvaxxed rugby playera go off to Italy or France? It’ll happen there as well. I hope they grow some balls and refuse to play if any of them are singled out.
If the final is between Nadal and Djokovic, we will get a proxy battle on behalf of vaxoids/antivaxoids everywhere! Imagine the tension!
Top Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili abandons his tennis match in Australia due to breathing problems.
And they all know what’s causing it.
Of course it is tyranny. Democracy without human rights is tyranny of the officials justified by acclamation of anonymous mobs influenced by official propanda. As soon as the idea that individuals are principally inviolate is abandoned, the whole edifice turns into a ghastly antithesis of what it was reportedly supposed to be.
Earlier example of that: The mother of this tennis player complained publically that he was held in pretty miserable, prison-like conditions. To this, the Australian ministress of the interior (IIRC) replied (on tele, seen on BBC1) that he Was absolutely free to leave as soon as he chooses and I thought “Oh really? He can just open the door, walk out, and enter a plane of his choice, leaving the country to whatever destination? Isn’t this more that he may inform his overseers during their working hours that he agrees to being deported and that they’ll then walk him – at some time convenient for them – to a plane they have chosen and make sure he doesn’t take any unauthorized steps until the door is bolted?”
That’s then this ministresses’ definition of freedom: He is free to accept that we can treat him as it damn well pleases us.
But it’s always been like that… Theoretically you are free not to pay taxes… provided that you “choose” not to have an income (above a certain level). Individual freedom is, by and large, a carefully constructed illusion.
The most dangerous Serb since Gavril Princip assassinated the Archduke of Australia and started WW3, said no one ever.
World sports leages like NFL secretly recommeding Ivermectin to their players. Who knows what is out there that recommeds this wonder drug while appearing as provax pro vaxxine cult. It is the trick of Satan. Do your own research and you will see the truth. Trust God and let Him direct you to truth. It is not easy to get this medicine because they are trying everything to block people accessing it. If you want you can get it from https://ivmpharmacy.com
Djokovic is not the issue here – obviously. It’s a fascist regime that has turned its population into guinea pigs that should be in prison and on trial. But you know – the tall poppy syndrome might also be in full swing – after all, Djokovic is possibly the best tennis player of all time (in my books, at least). Sad and pathetic. I won’t be visiting my family or friends in aus any time soon but I will be banging on my drum to spur Djpkovic to his record breaking tenth title. Brilliant player.
It’s still amazing that the Aussie govt haven’t yet twigged that despite it being a highly vaccinated country,
MoronicOmicron ‘cases’ have rocketed. Can’t they put two and two together??They also haven’t yet twigged that is the vaccine is only to reduce the severity of covid in that person, someone’s vaccination status is only of consequence to that person, given that symptomatic ill people do tend to self-isolate, i.e. in old fashioned language, they’re ‘off sick’.
Moreover, the Aussie govt also haven’t twigged that the number of ‘fully vaccinated’ professional sports players that are collapsing and dying from heart conditions has skyrocketed, with the only common cause being the vaccine (IIRC, only in the last couple of days did a tennis player complain of breathing difficulties during a match).
Such respect for the law shown by their Immigration Fuhrer, Alex Hawke. She obviously learnt this from Constable Savage on ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’