Melbourne protests LIVE Protesters in stand-off with Victoria Police at Shrine of Remembrance Daniel Andrews condemns demonstrations

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Riot police have put down their shields and moved back from hundreds of protesters at the Shrine of Remembrance to try and encourage demonstrators to leave peacefully.

Protesters who appear to be leading the group have said on megaphones that police have told them that those who want to leave, can do so peacefully.

Police and protesters are still facing-off.Credit:Jason South

Police then moved back slightly by a few metres from the main group to engender some trust.

Riot police had formed a tight ring around the demonstrators, who are still on the steps of the war memorial off St Kilda Road in the city, reporter Michael Fowler, who is on the scene, says.

Fowler and senior crime journalist Cameron Houston, also on scene, estimates about 400 police were currently at the Shrine.

Protesters who appear to be somewhat leading the demonstration on the Shrine of Remembrance say police have given them until 4pm to leave.

Live footage shot by protesters and posted on social media show those on megaphones telling the crowd that police have offered safe passage out.

The vision shows a couple of police in uniform speaking to the protest spokespeople.

“We don’t want to be treated as criminals,” one protester told the demonstrators.

The protest is a convergence of people who are anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine, and construction workers who were stood down from work on Monday night for two weeks after volatile protests outside the CFMEU offices during the day.

The protests began after the government introduced a jab mandate and closed construction site tearooms in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus among workers.

Premier Daniel Andrews told a press conference earlier today there have been more than 300 cases of COVID across 150 sites during the last two months.

The front line of police that has formed a ring around protesters on the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance have inched in closer to demonstrators.

Four lines of police are facing the Shrine, including at least 10 police horses.

Protesters remain on the steps of the Shrine.Credit:Eddie Jim

One small group of men threw what appeared to be bottles at police, before running back into the main crowd, Age reporter Michael Fowler says.

But otherwise, demonstrators on megaphones have been urging the group to be peaceful.

According to at least two demonstrators on megaphones addressing the protesters, police told them that they could leave without a confrontation, but the main group on the steps of the war memorial have remained.

The group appears to be in the hundreds, some estimates put it up to 1,000. Some protesters are wearing high visibility gear, others are waving Australian flags, reflecting the mix of construction workers and anti-lockdown protesters that appear to be here.

Police have surrounded protesters for a couple of hours.Credit:Eddie Jim

At various stages, they chant slogans including “f--- the jab” and “every day”.

“I can’t work. Enough is enough,” one man yelled, another Age reporter on the scene, Erin Pearson, reports.

The stand-off has now lasted about two hours.

Police tactics seem to be to remove individual protesters while encouraging others to leave peacefully via St Kilda Road.

Reporters for The Age, Erin Pearson and Michael Fowler, are on the scene at the Shrine of Remembrance and say police have been steadily arresting protesters on the fringe of the crowd.

But the main group on the steps of the war memorial are standing their ground.

Age photographer Jason South took this video below.

One woman on a megaphone warned the main group that police want them to move from the Shrine, and are likely to move in.

Another man said he spoke to police and “no one was going to get hurt” and will allow them to leave “peacefully”, which attracted boos from the group.

“Hold your ground. Hold your ground,” some protesters chanted.

One lady dropped to the ground as police took hold of her arms.

After several minutes four officers carried the woman away. She was sobbing as she was taken away.

Hundreds of police are now within 10 metres of the front of the crowd. The sides are holding their ground - no violence to report so far.

One of the protesters is on a megaphone telling demonstrators they were on “holy ground” at the Shrine of Remembrance.

The woman urged the group not to throw weapons at police, who have started to move in on the protesters on the steps of the war memorial to form an even tighter ring around them.

“We’re here for peace. We’re here to be heard,” she said, speaking to the demonstrators.

“We already look like f---ing neo-Nazis on the news, do you want that?”

The crowd responded: “No”.

“Then look after this land,” the woman told them.

“We are standing on holy ground here. Holy ground.”

She said people should not be forced to take vaccines, prompting cheering from the crowd

Following her speech some protesters began singing the John Farnham song ‘You’re the Voice’ before police began advancing towards the protesters, attracting taunts and jeering.

The chair of the Shrine of Remembrance has also described the protest as “disgraceful and disrespectful”.

“The Shrine of Remembrance is sacred. It is not a place of protest,” said Captain Stephen Bowater.

“The Shrine exists to honour the service and sacrifice of all those who served our nation in war and peacekeeping. It is a sacred place, of critical importance to the current and ex-service members of our community, for commemorating service and for the remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“Any protest on its grounds is disgraceful and disrespectful to the honoured memory of Australian service men and women.”

RSL Victoria says protesters using the Shrine of Remembrance as a place to gather are “completely disrespecting the sanctity” of the site.

Police on Wednesday afternoon remained in a stand-off with protesters, who snaked their way through the city this morning before ending their rally at the shrine.

Police surround protesters at the Shrine.Credit:Wayne Taylor

“It is RSL Victoria’s position that Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance is a sacred place, of critical importance to the current and ex-service members of our community, for commemorating service and for the remembrance of those who have died performing their patriotic duty,” an RSL Victoria spokeswoman said.

“Under no circumstances, ever, should the Shrine be a place of protest.

“If any individuals or groups choose to express their political views, positions or ideological theories in the grounds of the Shrine at any time, they are completely disrespecting the sanctity of this time-honoured space, those men and women of the Australian Defence Force who have lost their lives, and all Victorian veterans.”

The stand-off at the Shrine of Remembrance continues with no clashes at this point, and meanwhile, state Opposition leader Matthew Guy has joined state and national leaders in their condemnation of the demonstration.

Mr Guy said the behaviour of the protesters was ridiculous and embarrassing and he told them to “go home”.

State Opposition Leader Matthew Guy.Credit:Wayne Taylor

“Their actions are bringing scorn upon themselves,” Mr Guy said.

“I don’t care who they are or where they are from - I see others trying to pigeonhole these people and it doesn’t matter. These people are breaking the law. They’re assaulting police, they should go home and their actions are worthy of being condemned.“

Mr Guy said he understood people were frustrated, but violent protests on the streets was not the way to express frustration.

He thanked Victoria Police officers for trying to quell the unrest.

Police have closed in on hundreds of protesters gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance.

The demonstrators have been at the war memorial for about an hour, mostly sitting on the steps.

Police surrounded protesters at the Shrine.Credit:Wayne Taylor

Riot police followed, initially establishing a ring around the group from a few hundred metres away, but have now closed in to form a tighter ring.

No rounds of, for example, pepper balls or rubber pellets have been fired yet.

The protesters are shouting: “We are peaceful, we are peaceful”.

One man on a megaphone is urging demonstrators not to provoke the police.

“Leave them alone,” he said.

The group was also urging police to “take a knee” and join them.

Police appear to have surrounded protesters who have spilled onto the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance, off St Kilda Road.

Hundreds of protesters are sitting on the steps of the war memorial, while riot police have set up about 200 metres away in formation and with shields up.

The protest appears to remain peaceful at this stage, with demonstrators chanting “f--- the jab” and “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi”.

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