CCTV to identify violent protesters after police injured and pelted with rocks at Melbourne rally | Australian police and policing
Police will use a wealth of CCTV and body-worn camera footage to identify those responsible for violent protests that led to two police officers being hospitalised.
A woman is expected to be charged over ugly clashes as police tried to separate an anti-immigration rally from an anti-racism protest in Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday.
Victoria police officers used flash grenades, pepper spray and rubber bullets to control crowds after the protest, which organizers called a mass exodus, brought strong numbers to Melbourne’s CBD.
Supt Wayne Cheeseman said people at the counter-protest, titled “Unity Against Racism: Immigrants and Refugees Welcome”, were “desperately” trying to reach the other demonstration and confront those gathered.
Police were pelted with large rocks, glass bottles and spoiled fruit as protesters tried to break through police barricades, Cheesman said.
A female sergeant was suspected to have suffered a broken hand after being kicked by protesters, and a male senior police officer suffered a wound to his leg.
“I think Melbourne has had a very bad experience,” Supt Cheeseman said.
“The truth is that rocks are being thrown at the police, bottles full of broken glass are being thrown. Trash cans are being set on fire, flags are being burned, and I think enough is enough.”
He did not apologize for the fact that police had to use force to separate and disperse the crowd in a highly volatile and violent environment.
“Police do not attend protests with the intent to use force but always respond to the actions of protesters, whether it is violence between different groups or towards officers,” Supt Cheesman said.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said some protesters attended rallies in protest and “deserved to face serious consequences” when they engaged in violent behavior such as throwing rocks at police.
He said new security laws introduced to parliament in November would help control such behaviour.
Anti-racism protesters condemned the tactics used by police to control protesters.
“We condemn the violent actions of Victoria Police,” rally organizer Yasmin said in a statement.
“It is not peaceful to hold a rally calling for black and brown people not to be allowed to enter this country,” the statement said.
“Police denied thousands of people the right to protest while facilitating a racist, hate-filled demonstration for Australia, using white supremacy to defend the ideology of white Australia.”
They said five protesters were hospitalized after the march, but police said they were not aware of any hospitalizations of them.
Victoria police union secretary Wayne Gatt likened Sunday’s scenes to Northern Ireland in the 1970s.
“What we saw was so filthy and disgusting,” Gatt told Sunrise on Monday.
“Yesterday the only person who did not protect human rights was the police… Nobody in Australia takes these people seriously, they live in a complete dream world.”
Similar protests have been held across the country, but no other protests in Melbourne have experienced violence.
