A prominent Northern Territory anti-vaxxer has been arrested in a remote East Arnhem Land community and charged with breaching the Chief Health Officer's directions.
David Cole — a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen — was arrested in Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula on Wednesday, along with a 21-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man.
Mr Cole was allegedly in Yirrkala without a Northern Land Council permit, a condition of entry to remote communities under the Biosecurity Act.
Biosecurity zones for remote Northern Territory communities were introduced by the federal government earlier this month to help protect residents from COVID-19 amid the Territory's current Omicron outbreak.
NT Police confirmed the arrests and said Mr Cole was scheduled to face court in Darwin on Monday.
Yolngu elders in Yirrkala have accused Mr Cole of "s***-stirring" while in the community, by spreading misinformation regarding both COVID-19 vaccines and internal clan business.
Respected Rirratjingu elder and original Yothu Yindi band member Witiyana Marika said that Mr Cole, a Darwin resident, had "no business" being in Yirrkala and urged him to "stay away".
"He should just go away and leave us alone," Mr Marika said.
Mr Cole has been a vocal member of anti-vaccine and anti-mandate rallies in Darwin, and has previously faced charges of breaching the Chief Health Officer's directions in the Territory capital.
Mr Marika said vaccine misinformation was "dangerous" to his community and to the Gove Peninsula, where there have been more than 600 cases of COVID-19 recorded this year.
He said the community was in the process of mourning the death of prominent elder Mr D Marika, and that Mr Cole's presence was unhelpful during a time of grieving.
An NT Police spokesman said the trio had been directed to leave the East Arnhem region.
Mr Cole has been contacted for comment.
The Territory's biosecurity zones were extended by the Commonwealth on Thursday until March 3.
