"PEOPLE ARE JUST DEVASTATED": RIOT SQUAD MOVES IN FOR FIG TREE REMOVAL

Officers from the riot squad have been sent in to contain about 100 angry protesters as workers try to remove fig trees in a Newcastle street.
Lord mayor John Tate said residents were furious to see the avenue of 14 fig trees go.
"People are just devastated. There was a lot of tension in the air," Cr Tate said.
"They are hacking limbs off as fast and furious as they can so there's no way back."
Furore over the trees has been dragging on for more than two years, with calls for an independent review into their safety rejected by council, Cr Tate said.
Mr Tate said workers had moved tree removal equipment into the area about 4am today and then began sawing the limbs off the 80-year-old trees just before 6am, accompanied by a "heavy police presence".
"We don't allow the first garbage trucks to start that early," he said.
"These are the sorts of things that really get to people."
Officers including Newcastle police, the operational support group and members of the public order and riot squad, have been sent to Laman Street to "prevent any breaches of the peace or the removal process", a police spokeswoman said.
Greens councillor Michael Osbourne said there were up to 60 police officers as well as security at the removal site.
"There are two layers of steel fencing there and police and security are in between the two layers, with work occurring inside," he said.
"I think the council has underestimated the value of the trees to the community.
"There would be a lot of people that wouldn't have turned up [to the protest] because it's too depressing."
Acting Local Area Commander Trevor Sheils said at a press conference police were present to protect the rights of protesters and workers.
"I'll certainly support the police should they have to take action to stop any violent or disorderly conduct, and that includes the obstruction of people trying to go about their work," acting local area commander Sheils said.
Cr Tate predicted all trees would be removed within a day or two.
The council website states the trees have an "absence of adequate structural support roots".
The removal of the figs marks the end of a two-year battle between the community and Newcastle Council - 31 January 2012.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• People
• are
• just
• devastated
• riot
• squad
• moves
• in
• for
• fig
• tree
• removal
• nsw
• new
• south
• wales
• newcastle
• police
• force
• farce
• cop
• pig
• dog
• figtree
• Acting
• Local
• Area
• Commander
• Trevor
• Sheils
• the
• Greens
• councillor
• Michael
• Osbourne
• 60
• officers
• as
• well
• security
• Furore
• over
• trees
• brutality
• abuse
• power
• environmentalist
• environment
• excessive
• demonstration
• structural
• support
• roots
• Newcastle
• Council
• andrew
• scipione
• mike
• gallacher
• liberal
• australia
• repression
• violent
• disorderly
• conduct

[1997knightrider]

p*** off and fight for something worthwhile!!!

[mkc382001]

thank god the council didn't give up to the winging minority having a 2y old tantrum.

[uAsinan1905]

I hate these hippies bloody pot heads

[banshi68]

fuck the pigs and fuck the council

[bashpr0mpt]

@MrWash0ut And it's because of vacuous morons like you Australian rights are eroding away into nothing.

[bashpr0mpt]

@mkc382001 You're showing your ignorance here mate. The impact of something like that on the real estate value of homes in the area alone would cost each home owner tens of thousands of dollars. There's a PR maxim, for every letter there are a thousand silent, for every protestor there are ten thousand. This many people in a street throwing a '2y old tantrum' [sic] is a big deal and something the council should be ashamed of. Think before you post champ.

[bashpr0mpt]

@1997knightrider We live in a diverse world with diverse culture, what you see as unimportant to you, is important to others. Try to at least respect other people, just as you'd like your views to be respected.

[Antonio001z]

@MrWash0ut well said mate ahahahahaha

[shandybrandy]

That brought tears to my eyes watching the chainsaw cut through those beautiful trees. All the fond memories of that magical place as a child..& to see it destroyed like that is truly sad. There is already enough cruelty & destruction in the world already without consciously seeking it out. All incharge should be sacked.

[MrWash0ut]

water cannons followed by tasers is how I would have dealt with these petulant brats