Melbourne protests LIVE Victoria Police braced for fourth day of anti-vaccine protests

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A heavy police presence remains outside the construction union headquarters in the city, but there’s been no sign of protesters.

Reporter for The Age Bianca Hall is on the ground near the CFMEU head office, and around the Queen Victoria market.

Nine say they have stood down a security guard who was detained by police this morning.Credit:Wayne Taylor

While there’s a significant number of police there, anticipating protesters, there hasn’t been signs of groups of demonstrators yet.

Police are also stationed at Flinders Street station.

Police are checking permits and identification of people walking through the area, to ensure they have a permit to be there.

Earlier this morning, a security guard who was working for Nine, which owns The Age, was detained by police outside the union’s Elizabeth Street headquarters. While witnesses said he showed identification and told police who he was, police have said he was argumentative and did not show his credentials.

A spokesperson for Nine said the guard, provided by a security company, has been stood down.

“They [guards] must adhere to all our standards and this is most disappointing,” Nine said of the police allegation that he did not show identification.

“The guard has been stood down, but this does not diminish Nine’s concerns about some aspects of police conduct towards the media during protests. It is important that journalists who do the right thing are allowed to report on the protests without being the subject of inappropriate behaviour.”

Media have been in the firing line throughout the week. A photographer for The Age was pepper-sprayed by police, while a protester lobbed a bottle at the head of a journalist for Channel 7 during a live broadcast.

Police have also been assaulted during the protest, the worst of it on Saturday when 10 officers were injured, with six taken to hospital.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton also confirmed this morning Victoria Police were assessing vision that appeared to show a civilian being body-slammed in Flinders Street station yesterday.

Community health workers at cohealth have been instructed not to wear their uniforms or lanyards after staff were spat on and abused at the Town Hall vaccination hub in Melbourne, which has since been closed as a result of protests.

Nicole Bartholomeusz, chief executive of cohealth, said she was distressed to confirm that staff had been physically and verbally abused in the city while on their way to work who she said were targeted because of their jobs.

Peer support worker Jimmy Rose (right) chats to his friend, Greg, outside Melbourne’s new vaccine centre dedicated to the city’s homeless and disadvantaged.Credit:Jason South

The vaccination centre for vulnerable people - including rough sleepers and asylum seekers - has been closed until at least Monday, a “difficult decision” cohealth made “due to the increasingly violent and unpredictable nature of the protests in the city”.

“We have also instructed all staff not to wear their cohealth uniforms, lanyards or scrubs in the city, to avoid being targeted. We give this instruction with the heaviest of hearts, as our staff are so proud to be part of an organisation that supports our most vulnerable citizens and are proud to be recognised as cohealth workers,” Ms Bartholomeusz said.

“This means people experiencing homelessness can no longer access vital services and supports at Central City and at least 200 people per day will no longer be able to access the vaccine from the Melbourne Town Hall.“

The provider’s central city homelessness support location and its street-based outreach programs have also been shut down for at least the rest of the week.

The vaccination hub launched with the City of Melbourne on September 1 and had prioritised those facing disadvantage including rough sleepers, people who do not speak English as a first language, refugees and international students.

“The cohealth Melbourne Town Hall vaccination Centre was opened as a safe place for people to come to get vaccinated if they are facing disadvantage, so shutting the doors is a very difficult decision,” Ms Bartholomeusz said.

“Our staff, and all health workers, deserve to be safe at work. I am shocked at the treatment of people who deserve nothing but our utmost gratitude and praise for working throughout the pandemic to ensure everyone gets the support and healthcare they need.

“We urge the Victorian community to give their fullest support and compassion to all health workers at this time.”

The cohealth team at Central City can still be reached by calling 9448 5536.

Victoria police chief commissioner Shane Patton says he is “actively considering” mandatory vaccination for all police members.

Mr Patton said this morning making the jab mandatory for police officers was probably the appropriate decision given their interaction with the public and their security provision for hotel quarantine.

“It’s something we’re actively considering at this stage, and I’ll have some announcements on that in the near future, as to whether we do or we don’t, but it’s something I’m seriously considering my preliminary view at this stage that it’s probably an appropriate way to go,” Mr Patton told radio station 3AW.

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be saying that we’ll be unvaccinated. The final determination hasn’t been made, but that’s where I’m heading towards.”

The state government introduced mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers, and more recently, the construction industry, which contributed to protest action this week

Premier Daniel Andrews has been talking about the protests in the daily COVID-19 press conference.

Mr Andrews said police tactics yesterday were effective, and condemned reports of police being spat at.

Police outside the Queen Victoria market this morning.Credit:Wayne Taylor

“Can I also - because I think it can’t be said enough - can I send my best wishes to every family member of every member of Victoria Police, every family will be anxious to think their loved ones, doing their job with their skills and their commitment and their passion, to keep all of us safe, it is a difficult and challenging time,” Mr Andrews said.

“Police were very effective yesterday and I thank them for putting themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe.”

Shrine of Remembrance CEO Dean Lee said yesterday’s protest was “a very troubling day” for everyone associated with Melbourne’s war memorial.

Up to 600 demonstrators converged on the site along St Kilda Road yesterday, leaving behind shattered glass, rubbish strewn everywhere, and urine on the walls, Mr Lee said.

The Shrine of Remembrance this morning.Credit:Wayne Taylor

Mr Lee told ABC news breakfast earlier that the scenes were “disgusting” and by demonstrating at the memorial, the protesters “have not done themselves any favours”.

Asked what he thought the protesters were trying to achieve, he said some were associated with nationalist interests.

“And some of those people choose to subvert the meaning of a symbol like the Shrine monument, to their own purpose,” he said.

Mr Lee said it was how we behave in a crisis that defines us as Australians.

“Those that seek to divide us in a time of crisis are not doing themselves any favours and are not representing the best values of what it is to be Australian,” he said.

Mr Lee said there was no permanent damage to the Shrine from the protest.

“We are [back to] as we should be - a quiet peaceful place of reflection for the honoured memory of our service men and women,” Mr Lee said.

A vaccination hub for vulnerable Melburnians including asylum seekers and rough sleepers has been closed at Town Hall because of dangerous protests in the CBD.

Community health centre cohealth has shut the vaccination hub until at least Monday to ensure the safety of clients and staff during the “disruptive demonstration” following abuse directed at health workers.

The provider’s Central City location and its street-based outreach programs have also been shut down for at least the rest of the week.

The Town Hall hub had been providing about 200 inoculations every day since launching with the City of Melbourne on September 1.

It prioritised people facing disadvantage including rough sleepers, people who do not speak English as a first language, refugees and international students.

“Every member of our community matters. We want to create a city that is fair and prosperous, that values health and wellbeing, and welcomes people from all backgrounds,” Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said announcing the program last month.

The cohealth team at Central City can still be reached by calling 9448 5536.

Police used capsicum spray and beanbag rounds to disperse a group of “hardcore” protesters who remained at the Shrine yesterday.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said this morning police tried to get as many demonstrators as possible to leave the war memorial peacefully yesterday.

The scenes at the Shrine yesterday.Credit:Jason South

Between 400 and 600 protesters, many of them anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown activists mixed with construction workers, took to the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance for about three hours in a stand-off with police.

“We tried to engage with all of those protesters, and actually allowed many of them to leave through just taking their names and details with a follow-up about infringements later because we didn’t want a confrontation,” Mr Patton told radio statement 3AW.

But he said a significant “hardcore” group remained.

“We had to resolve the matter,” Mr Patton said.

He said police used vapour dispersal grenades (strong OC spray), foam baton rounds (hard squash balls) and flexible baton rounds (beanbag rounds) on the group.

“I said we’d adopt different tactics, and we did,” Mr Patton said.

“By and large they were very successful and we didn’t allow the city to be held to ransom.”

Victoria Police say a security guard who was working for Nine outside the CFMEU headquarters did not show his identification or credentials before he was detained.

Earlier, we reported the guard was arrested by police outside the Elizabeth Street offices ahead of the protests today.

Police in the midst of detaining the guard earlier.Credit:Wayne Taylor

Police have provided a statement on what occurred. Here it is in full:

“A man was seen walking across the road near Elizabeth and Victoria Street at about 9.30am this morning.

Police stopped and spoke to him, to obtain his identity and confirm why he is in the area.

The male was argumentative and did not provide his identification or credentials to police.

He was subsequently arrested until his identification was sought.

Victoria Police understands there are valid reasons people need to be in the city, and we do not want to stop people going about their usual business, so we ask that people provide the information to police at the first opportunity.”

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton says police will continue to be out in force as long as the protests continue.

Mr Patton told radio station 3AW a short time ago that police will stay the distance as long as the protest action continues.

Police and protesters clash at The Shrine yesterday.Credit:Jason South

“It’s as simple as that. We won’t tolerate the city being held to ransom,” Mr Patton said.

He said police put themselves in harm’s way for the community, with one officer bit by a demonstrator yesterday.

But he also confirmed police were also reviewing footage of a civilian who was body-slammed by police on Flinders Street.

“We’ll investigate that,” Mr Patton said.

“I don’t know what the full circumstances are. There’s always context to everything.“

Mr Patton said police by and large were responding proportionately in an environment that was dynamic, threatening and frightening.

“I couldn’t be prouder of them. What they’ve done and the way they’ve conducted themselves,” he said.

“Of course there’ll be incidents that appear, or may be inappropriate, but any of them that are, we will fully investigate.“

Mr Patton said the number of people demonstrating yesterday was between 400 and 600, a significant drop from Tuesday.

“We would hope that common sense is starting to prevail, and they are starting to reflect on their conduct and what the public sentiment is towards these people who are doing this,” he said.

He said the composition of the group has changed, with more anti-vaccination activists involved.

A Nine security officer was detained by police ahead of scheduled protests, near the boarded-up CFMEU offices on Elizabeth Street.

The officer had left a group of waiting media before being intercepted by police, slammed to the ground and held face-down by four officers.

Photo of the arrest.Credit:Wayne Taylor

One officer had his knee in the man’s neck, while the security guard screamed. He was led away, doubled over.

In a statement, Victoria Police said in response:

“A man was seen walking across the road near Elizabeth and Victoria Street at about 9.30am this morning,” a media spokeswoman said.

“Police stopped and spoke to him, to obtain his identity and confirm why he is in the area.

The male was argumentative and did not provide his identification or credentials to police.

He was subsequently arrested until his identification was sought.

Victoria Police understands there are valid reasons people need to be in the city, and we do not want to stop people going about their usual business, so we ask that people provide the information to police at the first opportunity.”

The guard was released from custody a short time ago.

Police making the arrest.Credit:Wayne Taylor

Security guards for Nine, which owns The Age, have been working alongside journalists, photographers and camera operators to keep them safe while covering the protests. Media have been targeted by protesters this week. A Channel 7 reporter had a bottle hurled at his head during a live broadcast.

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