Tensions flare, protesters evicted from 2032 Games site
Laine Clark and Andrew Stafford |
Tensions have boiled over in wild scenes as protesters were removed from an inner-city park to make way for a controversial Olympic stadium.
Several protesters were taken away, including a man who was tackled to the ground by police at Brisbane’s Victoria Park on Friday in what critics described as a surprise raid.
Protesters and Traditional Owners were determined to protect the heritage‑listed site with a weekend of action before construction on the $3.6 billion 2032 main stadium was set to start as early as Monday.
Many had been camping in the park for months, with First Nations activists setting up a tent embassy after it was announced the site would be fenced off for five years from next week to build Brisbane Stadium, the 2032 Games centrepiece.
But they appeared blindsided on Friday when authorities asked them to move on, arresting a handful of people before imposing a 2pm deadline to leave.
There were tense scenes as 2pm approached, with about 50 police officers and Brisbane City Council workers waiting metres away after surrounding the camp.
Protest organiser Derek Oram Sandy defiantly grabbed a microphone after the deadline and addressed the officers before eventually approaching them.
Officers and council workers responded by slowly approaching the tents, sparking arrests as the site was dismantled and property removed.
A man was crash tackled to the ground by officers as onlookers yelled “shame”, filming the incident on their phones.
It remained tense as police continued to pull apart the makeshift site surrounded by a ring of officers, keeping taunting protesters at bay.
Five protesters were taken into custody, with one later released without charge.
First Nations activists and supporters said the eviction had come without warning, days before control of the park was due to be officially handed over to 2032 Games authorities on Monday.
Yagara Elder Gaja Kerry Charlton was at the park when officers arrived.
“They all came up to my little camp, where we had about 20 tents, and they just started dismantling them and taking them away,” Ms Charlton told AAP.
“We were just getting ready to go for lunch and then we got the phone call that the police were all arriving.”
Greens MP Michael Berkman watched as police surrounded the camp, accusing Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner of a “dodgy, underhanded approach”.
“Everyone was anticipating Monday would be the day something would happen – it (police arrival) was a complete surprise,” he told AAP.
“This looks like council taking the last-ditch opportunity to sink the boot in, to have a crack at First Nations people who are here exercising their sovereign rights.
“It is a disgraceful exercise from the lord mayor.”
The scenes drew the attention of the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Debbie Platz.
“I strongly encourage authorities responding to protesters at Victoria Park to actively consider and uphold the human rights of all people,” she said.
The state government and council defended the decision to move against protesters.
“While we respect the right to peaceful protest, the Victoria Park camp has now become a safety issue,” they said in a joint statement.
Authorities had repeatedly engaged with park protesters, making it clear it would be unsafe for people to remain once the site became an active construction zone, they said.
Ownership of the land is set to be transferred to the 2032 Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority on Monday.
Fences are being erected around the site, with the government adamant construction will proceed immediately.
Consultation with Traditional Owners would continue as the authority progressed delivery for the new 2032 stadium, the government and council said.
The government has exempted Victoria Park from heritage, environmental and planning laws, converting it to freehold land.
But the project faces legal challenges under section 10 of the federal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has the power to halt the project if he is satisfied the site is of special Indigenous significance but has not indicated when a decision on the outstanding applications will be made.
AAP