Police Brutality @ Occupy Melbourne, Australia

"We don't really want to engage in this sort of activity but we're not going to back down either," Assistant Commissioner Fontana said.

"They've [protesters] had more than ample time to make their point in terms of what their protest is about and I think it's time to give the City Square back to the citizens of Melbourne."

Greens MP Adam Bandt, the federal member for Melbourne, said calling on the riot police to intervene was a serious error by political leaders.

Hundreds of people, including school children, are now lining Swanston and Collins streets watching the drama, with some chanting "the whole world is watching".

"People will be arrested," he said, as protesters around him chanted "We are the 99 per cent".

Earlier, organisers used loudspeakers to urge the protesters to call everyone they knew to join the protest before the 9am deadline and passed around marker pens to write the mobile phone number of a legal service on their arms in preparation for arrest.

Mr Doyle said a fence would be used to try to keep others from joining the protest at the makshift camp, which he said had been taken over by "professional protesters" in recent days.

While some protesters packed up their tents in the rain and moved on, most remained steadfast.

Passers-by watched the unfolding drama from the neighbouring Starbucks coffee outlet, where they turned chairs outside the front of the store to face the action.

However at 8.30am, as yet more police moved in, Starbucks staff began packing up and said the store was closing.

A woman who demanded to be allowed entry to the protest was blocked by police.

Angry protesters began shouting and shaking fences as she was taken away by police.

"[Premier] Ted Baillieu and [Lord Mayor] Robert Doyle have made a huge blunder by sending in the police, turning a week-long non-violent protest into a site of confrontation," Mr Bandt said.

"The authorities should have negotiated with the protestors before resorting to heavy handed pressure.

"By their actions, the Premier and Lord Mayor have moved the situation from negotiation to conflict and have hardened peoples' positions."

Lachlan Gifford, an Occupy Melbourne spokesman, said the protest would spring up in other public places in Melbourne if they were forcibly removed.

"What Robert Doyle hasn't figured out yet is that, regardless of what happens here today, and even if the police and Robert Doyle are successful (in removing them), this won't be the end of it," he said.

"Eviction is a very short term thing.

"We will move next door to the church. This is going to get bigger in one way or another.

"There's this underlying dissatisfaction. People are not happy about the gap between haves and the have nots."

Several protesters were injured with one taken to hospital. While they were being cheered on by the crowd, protesters - still linking arms - retreated, with some crying and others clearly terrified.

They said dozens of police officers were not wearing name badges, in breach of regulations.

"More than 20 statements have been taken from individuals who have experienced police violence, including eye gouging, kicks to the groin,punches to the face, knees to the face and arbitrary pepper spraying

Elderly woman and men were pushed to the ground by riot police.

Video from the chaos shows a dramatic and frightful scene, with police beating, choking and dragging young people away. The main group of youths remained largely peaceful, locking arms to make it more difficult for police to break them up.

Other protesters were locked out of City Square by a large barricade set up by police, which also trapped many others inside. Police then began methodically dividing the protesters into segments, focusing on three main groups one at a time.

All the while, activists were chanting, "This is a peaceful protest!" and "Scum!" as officers dragged them away, one by one.

'Occupy Melbourne have called for a full inquiry into unlawful police behaviour amid scenes of police violence on the streets of Melbourne today. The call comes after riot police disrupted a peaceful demonstration in Melbourne's CBD.

"We call on Premier Ted Ballieu and Lord Mayor Robert Doyle to back a full and independent investigation into the use of unlawful and excessive force by Victoria Police and the Melbourne City Council," said Occupy Melbourne spokesperson Erin Buckley.

"More than 20 statements have been taken from individuals who have experienced police violence including eye gouging, kicks to the groin, punches to the face, knees to the face and arbitrary pepper spraying, including of minors. One incident involved an elderly woman with a walking stick who was pushed to the ground by riot police," she said.'

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Melbourne
• Melbourne Football Club
• Melbourne Cricket Ground
• Australia
• Sydney
• Police
• Shuffle
• Brisbane
• Perth
• Adelaide
• Victoria
• Cops
• Western
• Harbour
• South

[wufongtan]

Noone in Australia liked the occupy cock suckers. It gave the majority of australians many lols at the hippies cried I can watch it over and over. All these hippies are on the dole living it up. Don't mistake them with the wall street occupiers. Plus the funny thing is. These people are always saying how bad the u.s is. Yet they copy everytying the u.s does.

[YTIABFO]

What brutality? Move or be moved. Jobless, smelly scum. Worthless members of Australian society. I have total respect for the police for getting that close to the unwashed, germ infested dole bludgers.

[firetopman]

Introduce a little anarchy and the whole world becomes chaos...I'm an agent of chaos.

[mrusa4440]

The biggest problem with the occupy movement is no real clear agenda. Here in the US if you go to an occupy protest and ask 10 different protesters what they are protesting you will get 10 different answers. The whole "occupy" thing has turned into a freaking joke.

[laurengullick1]

what happened to the freedom to protest , what unemployed have no rights get real anyone can be made unemployed anytime , there are no jobs for life these days , poor people make up the majority in most societies , once we start saying ppl have less rights because they are poor then its a sad day for democracy , everyone should be treated the same regardless , once people cannot protest then it becomes a dictatorship , if they take these peoples rights who;s will they take next yours ??

[aquaew16]

it would had been funny if the cops grabbed the lady talking because she is soo close to the action LOL

but forreal this is serious

[nilbud]

@luname24woodster You're wankers sulking, only a spoiled toddler could empathise with you patchouli smelling infected vegan bitches. Still you can jump on the Kony bandwagon now and bore the fuck out of everyone yet again.

[PharaohMikiah]

@YTIABFO For that my friend, I took great offence to. They are Human regardless of wealth. Now you will become one of them. Doubt it, but when it happens my name is Mikiah.

[bazwaa007]

@impalax327, your numbers are way way off bro. We have more than 22 million in Aus and nearly all of them support the cops and the job they do so it will never be an us v's cops mentality in this country. It's funny how everyone thinks their opinion is the correct one yet most of you weren't there and many of you don't even live here but somehow feel qualified to comment.

[luname24woodster]

@YTIABFO You are a fucking cunt. I know countless people who attended, myself included, all of whom have jobs or a studying full time. You are the worthless scum for failing to feel empathetic towards such a cause.

[impalax327]

hmm 22 million vs how many cops? I know where I'll be putting my money.