Man eating kebab on bench among 50 people fined in NSW and Victoria for violating coronavirus laws

From The Guardian:

Jonathon Hunyor, the chief executive of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Sydney, said he was concerned about the potential for the laws to be used against vulnerable communities such as the homeless.

While orders restricting public movement contain an exemption for homelessness, gatherings do not, something that could have negative consequences for people sleeping rough.

“Often homeless people will sleep near others because of the availability of shelter or safety and what we’re concerned about is if it is used in a way that effectively criminalises rough sleepers trying to stay safe,” he said.

“There’s a protocol for homelessness in public spaces that police are signed on to and a fundamental principle of that is don’t bother people minding their own business. We want to make sure that holds because those interactions are what lead to other offences like offensive behaviour or language.”