All pics © Aaron Flanagan.
An AES+F devil baby art installation loomed large over Occupy Melbourne’s rain-slicked black plastic covered camp as Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s order for the protesters to clear out by 9am expired.
About 100 protesters were sectioned off inside walls of temporary fencing. About 30 media were inside with them. One protester outside ran the gauntlet and commando rappelled over two sets of fences in the blink of an eye to the cheers of all.
Everyone outside wanted to get in too. “Let them in!” was the chant from inside the fenced-in camp.
Outside, spilling onto Swanston street were another 300 – an assorted collection of passers by stopped to see what the fuss was, determined protesters and media.
About 60 police were bolstered by 50 tactical response unit officers dressed in dark blue. All bristled with intent to clear the vicinity and disable the encampment. These were large men, well over six-foot and fit. Some had full sleeve tattoos like the kind sported by football players.
The strategy of the response unit came in organised waves. They first corralled the protestors outside the central camp under the statue of Burke and Wills on the corner of Swanston and Collins street. Then they arrested some inside and put them in paddy wagons. They set up more fences and forced people off the footpath and onto the road. A man among the protestors wearing a CFMEU jumper quizzed the fencing contractors, “Mate, are you in a union?”
Trams rang their bells but eventually gave up and came to a standstill as protesters marched down in front of the number 6 Glen Iris service and sat on the tracks. “This is a peaceful protest,” they chanted. They began handing out pink roses, even offering them to the response unit.
The response unit was quick to react, moving in with force, lifting and dragging people off the street forcing everyone back against the shops in Swanston street. Police horses rode in.
“All we want to do is protest. It’s our right to protest,” pleaded a woman forced backwards and down the street towards McDonalds.
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4 comments On Occupy Melbourne
remarkable photographs. Heart goes out to the poor little girl.
And the young man with the rose is a great image.
Thanks for sharing these.
Thx Helen. It was crazy in there! Needlessly aggressive and OTT. It’s only going to galvanise people. It also suggests Robert Doyle, like many, don’t really understand why the people are there in the 1st place.
Why don’t i see anyone in a suit being arrested?
It would seem they’re unarrestable