Green MPs Roughed Up By Melbourne Police

Green MP Nandor Tanczos said Sue Bradford and himself were on the receiving end of police violence in Melbourne this morning, as riot police trampled over protesters outside the World Economic Forum.

Mr Tanczos said Ms Bradford had been injured, but he was unsure how badly.

“I’ve been on a siting blockade. A huge number of riot cops trampled over us,” he said.

“I’m hearing increasing stories of police brutality,” Mr Tanczos said. He said he had heard reports of pepper being used on the protesters, and said he had seen kicking, and people who had lost teeth in the skirmishes.

Mr Tanczos said he had heard that some busloads of delegates had made it through the crowd.

Protesters arrived around 6am this morning, and the crowd has gradually swelled, Mr Tanczos said. He said protesters have now blockaded every entrance.

Union representatives, who originally didn’t support the S11 protests despite opposing the World Economic Forum, are set to arrive at 11am, bolstering the protest group, Mr Tanczos said.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen has said he will probably not attend today’s meeting because of the protester’s blockades. “It’s probably a very wise idea,” Mr Tanczos said.

National finance spokesman Bill English was amongst the delegates who were blocked yesterday, and rumour amongst the crowd has it that Microsoft head Bill Gates will now not speak at the forum after yesterday’s protests.

Mr Tanczos said the protests had been successful in raising the issues of global corporatisation.

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