Melbourne G20 Protest: Hosing down Police and Protestors

It was a hot day, with everyone feeling the heat. At the Russell Street police barricade a person climbed out of the window of a multistory car park onto the awning. A fire hose was lowered to him. He then proceeded to hose down both sides of the barricade: police and protestors. Most protestors welcomed the coolness of the water. When the water was turned off, the protestor jumped down off the awning and was safely caught by the crowd to blend away.

There wasn't a groundswell atmosphere of activists to attend this event - not like the anti-war rallies of 2003, or the blockading of the World Economic Forum on September 11 2000 (S11), or even the climate change rally that attracted 30,000 a couple of weeks ago. Some of my activist friends went along to Stop G20 Carnival against Capitalism, quite a few didn't. Maybe there was a communication problem, but something definitely wasn't motivating people.

The media underestimated the crowd at the Saturday rally and march. It was probably more like 5000, than 1000 to 2000 the corporate media have been saying. Quite a few of these people drifted away after a short period at the Russell Street police barricade.

Saturday actions were also divided between the more conservative Make Poverty History Forum held in an innercity park, and social activists loosely co-ordinating under the Stop G20 banner. So the movement was neatly split. The Make Poverty History Forum got little media coverage, as expected.

Police also raided two squats on the Friday night which had been used as organising centres for some affinity groups.

Instead of the cops being all behind the barricades, they had scores of their members dressed up in flourescent vests that said 'crowd safety officer'. In reality these cops were there to watch and identify people for later snatching and some light policing.

The effectiveness of the march and rally also needs to be raised. Protestors really never got close to the conference Hotel. G20 delegates could largely come and go with impunity. Only a small group of people held banners on Flinders Street where they would be visible by delegates driving past on their way in and out.

While much is being made of protestors damaging a police riot squad truck, in reality that truck will be back on the road within a week with new windscreens and maybe a bit of a paint touch up. Its not like it was set alight. (one rumour is the truck was neatly placed in protestors path to be destroyed)

Surprisingly few arrests during Saturday, but a few arrests happened late at night (with no corporate media around) when police decided to payback protestors for the street confrontations during the day, delivering a few beatings (less paperwork). Also reports are emerging of police inviting being attacked for the media assault used against protestors.

Sunday - Unprovoked Police Attack on Protestors Causing Severe Injuries

On Sunday there were snatches off the street by plain clothes cops. Protestors received some information that some G20 delegates might be having dinner in the Melbourne Museum, and so a small group turned up at the Museum to show the festive side of StopG20, singing and dancing. Without any warning the police turned up and initiated a full baton charge, batoning to the ground several people where they were also kicked and punched. One woman was batoned unconscious and required an ambulance to hospital.

Footage on Melbourne Indymedia clearly shows police brutally beating defenseless people lying on the ground.

“We were singing and dancing at the front of the Melbourne Museum, as a non-violent way of publicly raising our concerns about the G20”, said one of the demonstrators. “Without warning we were baton-charged by heaps of cops. It was frightening, especially when a couple of busloads of riot police turned up afterwards.”

• Photos and full report
• Graphic Video of the police attack

Police Commissioner Christine Nixon has setup a taskforce to identify people involved in attacks on police lines on Saturday from police and media footage: "We've made seven arrests but there are more to come ... there could be many more," Ms Nixon said. I wonder if she will setup an inquiry into the unprovoked savage baton charge at the Melbourne Museum?

Needless to say, the Australian Finance Minister, Peter Costello, has accused protestors of throwing containers of urine. Pleasssse, not that old story again - the only urine I saw at the protest was from the police horses. The Police Commissioner, Christine Nixon, has said the violence was motivated by interstate and international OUTSIDE AGITATORS. Come on, Melbourne can produce its own people willing to fight over a police barricade, or trash a police truck - it doesn't require a PhD or a passport, and the police are hated by enough people in the State of Victoria.

Comparing the G20 protest to S11

The big differences between s11 and the G20Melbourne were over contesting the police barriers and the goals for the action. At S11 the police pretty effectively blockaded Crown Casino themselves. A crowd of people 10,000 + strong just accentuated the blockade. There was a pretty ineffective black bloc who circled the perimeter charging the fence on occasions, but they were hardly violent. No, all the violence was one sided from the police. Look up reports of the event. It was riot police charging peaceful people sitting down in front of an entrance, or batoning peaceful people from the road (includng journalists), or deliberately driving over people. The blockade was largely effective on the first day.

The G20Melbourne had no goal to blockade the hotel. The Carnival against Capitalism was a rally and march to the police barricades. The hotel wasn't even in sight from the end point of the march. G20 Delegates could come and go by car with minimal fuss.

In terms of tactics, some activists were willing to contest the police barriers, pull them apart if necessary. They were mostly organised in a block, in that regard very much like the police. The police don't like it when their petty power is challenged, and that is what happened on Saturday. It was hardly a riot by world standards - injuries amounted to a suspected broken wrist and bruises and scratches on both sides. Sometimes street space and barriers do need contesting. Who were the real thugs? Almost certainly it was the boys in blue with their batons at the ready.

The police got their payback Saturday night attacking festive protestors outside parliament house. Batoning one person unconscious, and beating more. I doubt very much that the people they beatup on Saturday night or Sunday night were the same ones who fought over barricades during Saturday. But thats payback justice for you. Its inflicted indiscriminately on the same class of people, not necessarily the ones who committed 'crimes'.

Remember what Cam Walker of Friends of the Earth said about police tactics at S11?

"We've always used civil disobedience. We've always done it according to protocol and that protocol is the police ask you to leave, they remove the protestors, and they arrest them if they believe they've done anything unlawful. The police have broken with 30 years of tradition and they've declared war on peaceful protestors," he said.

Well, the police declared war on peaceful protestors at S11 and some of the people at G20 decided if their going to get hit, they might as well get hit challenging the arbitrary barriers the police put in place. And they organised with tactics to challenge police tactics. I don't necessarily agree with these people or their tactics, because I see a danger of spiraling escalation of confrontation. When that happens, its time to try something different. But I can appreciate where they are coming from.

While I was at the march, rally and barricades, it was a great atmosphere, some great street theatre, and great costumes. Arterial bloc dressed in white decontamination suits (heaven knows Melbourne needs a decontamination with all those Finance ministers and bureacrats in town), Radical cheerleaders in pink and black, trannie cops, clowns, puppets, the Feetbus, the white Nuclear elephant, nuclear mutants, faeries, knights in mock armour. Love you all.

Indymedia

Good one Indymedia, to allow direct reporting from protests. Melbourne ndymedia set up an IndyMedia Van for protestors to upload stories, photos and videos from the street using a van outfitted with laptops, cardreaders and a broadband wireless connection.

References:

• Indybay: First protests against G20 starting
• Indybay: Melbourne: Businesses Targeted by G20 Protests in Australia
• Indybay: Street Confrontations at Melbourne G20 Protest
• Indybay: 100 police violently attacked festive G20 protestors
• Global Indymedia: Street Confrontations at Melbourne G20 Protest
• Melbourne Indymedia: Police Attack Protestors Causing Severe Injuries
• Melbourne Indymedia for full accounts, pictures and videos of the G20 protests.