Exhibition Park campsites closed ahead of expected anti-vaccination protests in Canberra

Police have warned people considering coming to Canberra for protests to find accommodation before arriving, with local camping spots already at or near capacity.

"Camping outside of a designated site is an offence and campers will be asked to move on. Those who refuse to do so may be subject to fines and/or arrest," ACT Policing said in a statement on Thursday.

Police said Venues Canberra, which manages Exhibition Park, had advised camping would not be permitted at the Mitchell site for the rest of March.

"The ACT has limited camping availability with many sites at or near capacity," the statement said.

"People looking to camp in regions surrounding the ACT are reminded to check with local government authorities regarding availability of lawful camping areas."

An ACT government spokeswoman said it was not unusual for Venues Canberra to close the Exhibition Park campsite at this time of the year to allow for major event preparation and maintenance.

The Groovin' the Moo music festival and National Folk Festival will soon be held at the site.

"While camping will be available for attendees at those events, where it is required, the campsite - which has 150 sites - is closed for public bookings during March and in the lead up to those events," the spokeswoman said.

"It is important to note the protesters camping in EPIC during February were not camped in the formal campground but rather in the event precinct which is not a designated camping site."

No campsites managed by the Environment Directorate have been closed, but many are operating at or close to capacity.

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A large camp of protesters at Exhibition Park were moved on by police last month, following a large rally at Parliament House.

Protesters - who shared and promoted disproven conspiracy theories about COVID-19, vaccinations and the federal government - disrupted traffic, confronted people wearing masks and sought to flout restrictions in businesses in central Canberra in January and February.

An earlier protest camp - whose members purportedly supported Indigenous land rights and opposed vaccination mandates - was established at the front of Old Parliament House last last year. This was connected with a fire that significantly damaged the heritage-registered building's portico and front door.

The ACT's Police and Emergency Services Minister called on the federal government in January to condemn "extremist" anti-vaccination protesters twice, but was brushed off despite comparing the risk of the groups to terrorist organisations.

The director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation also advised the emergency management committee of the ACT's cabinet the extremist groups linked to the anti-vaccination mandate protests posed a "substantial threat to national security", correspondence obtained by The Canberra Times revealed.

Mick Gentleman wrote to the federal Home Affairs and Territories Ministers, as well as Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, on January 10, calling for the Commonwealth to denounce and call out "extremist groups" that spread conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19 and other vaccinations in an effort to prevent a build-up of protest activity before Australia Day.

"Failure to do this only emboldens their [the protesters'] actions, assists in their growth and places the nation's capital at risk," Mr Gentleman wrote.

About 10,000 protesters descended on Parliament House on Saturday, February 12. Many of them camped at Exhibition Park. Police helped clear the showground after a fortnight of anti-vaccination mandate protests in the capital.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he "understood" the protesters' concern about the issue of COVID-19 vaccination mandates, but it was really a matter for the states.

ACT chief police officer Neil Gaughan this week confirmed that his operational resources were being prepared for the anti-vaccine-mandate and sovereign citizen protesters to return, adding that the Canberra public could reasonably expect disruptions from next month.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has previously said the territory government has little power to prevent the protesters congregating in the ACT.

Mr Barr said the ACT did not have a political test for people seeking places to stay in the territory, and the government would struggle to define who was part of the so-called movement that led to wide-scale and disruptive protests in Canberra at the weekend.

"I understand that a lot of people didn't like some of the people who were here, but that's not a legal basis in which to deny access to accommodation facilities," he said on Sunday, February 14.

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