Police and protesters clash in Melbourne

October 21st, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

AAP

Police and protesters have clashed after officers dragged Occupy Melbourne demonstrators from their CBD camp, with the scuffles spilling into nearby streets.

Riot and mounted police broke up hundreds of protesters who blocked streets in the CBD after demonstrators were forcibly removed from the City Square on Friday morning.

About 100 Occupy Melbourne demonstrators, who had camped out in the City Square for a week as part of global protests against corporate greed, defied an order to leave by 9am.

A huge police contingent, including the riot squad, started dragging protesters out of the square about 12.30pm and cleared the area within 10 minutes.

Some protesters were dragged by the legs, others were carried by several police.

They were soon joined by more protesters, blocking the busy intersection of Swanston and Collins streets before moving towards the Bourke Street Mall and being pushed further down Swanston Street.

Police arrested between 15 and 20 people, who could face charges such as trespass, resisting arrest and hindering police, but they said a number of protesters were removed and later released.

More than 20 protesters had minor injuries, with one taken to hospital, while two officers were also injured, one of whom was taken to hospital to have his eye flushed.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana denied police used excessive force in breaking up the protest.

“We don’t really want to engage in this sort of activity but we’re not going to back down either,” Mr Fontana told reporters.

He said police increased their numbers in line with those of the protesters, having started the day with 150 officers.

“As the number of demonstrators increased we’ve actually got over 400 members out in the field at the moment and we will continue to keep moving through until we have cleared the streets,” he said.

“We’re trying to use the minimum amount of force as possible.

“They’ve 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.”

He said the protesters were given more than two hours to move on from the square and police had the resources to deal with any future protests if it continued into the weekend.

Occupy Melbourne spokesman David Schoeffel earlier said organisers had told demonstrators to remain peaceful.

“We’re not violent. We’re occupying, we’re not going to leave,” he said.

“But we’re going to be peaceful and that may mean that people may have to be arrested, unfortunately.”

At the 9am evacuation deadline, protesters linked arms, surrounded their makeshift tents and yelled slogans including: “whose square, our square” and “this is what democracy looks like”.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has said a week was long enough to occupy the centre of the city.

Mr Doyle said the site would remain fenced for about 48 hours while it was cleaned up and any damage fixed.