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November 16th, 2011 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda ELEANOR HALL: Police arrested three people at Melbourne’s Occupy movement protest in Treasury Gardens.
About 40 demonstrators were told to remove their tents and tarpaulins from the park.
This follows last month’s violent confrontation with police when the group was evicted from Melbourne’s City Square.
Today though the protesters marched back to the City Square, declaring that this morning’s eviction was heavy-handed, as Liz Hobday reports.
LIZ HOBDAY: Early this morning Occupy Melbourne was once again told to pack up and go.
POLICE OFFICER: Look I consider this tent as one thing used for camping which is prohibited under item 211 of the local law.
LIZ HOBDAY: While the week long occupation in the City Square last month attracted hundreds of people, there were about 40 protesters left in the gardens this morning with tents, banners and Aboriginal flags.
A few hours after a warning from the council, 60 police officers moved in.
POLICE OFFICER 2: We were aware that there’d be some who probably wouldn’t want to move voluntarily so they requested our assistance. We planned for that this morning and just assisted as you saw and it went very smoothly.
LIZ HOBDAY: Police were questioned about why so many officers were needed and acknowledged they had more than was required.
POLICE OFFICER 2: Purely because we had no idea how many may be here so it’s as you could imagine you’ve got to get people in at a certain hour of the morning and if we only had 20 here and there were 300 of the protesters that would be very awkward.
LIZ HOBDAY: Three people were arrested and will now be charged under council by-laws with obstructing council officers.
Some of the protesters’ belongings have been confiscated.
Police say the operation was a success.
POLICE OFFICER 2: We certainly did that with as little force as we needed. I think you all saw it. It was all fairly peaceful as far as I was concerned.
LIZ HOBDAY: After the clashes at City Square last month police were accused of being heavy-handed, and that’s a claim maintained by those at the occupation this morning.
FEMALE PROTESTER: We’re being totally unfairly discriminated against and I think the amount of police that we saw here today was completely unreasonable. There was – I think I counted 80 police, over 80 police for what, 20, 30 people who were sleeping peacefully in a park. We’re trying to open a space for discussion about the way our society is run and all they are doing is proving our point.
LIZ HOBDAY: Protesters have now marched to Melbourne’s Town Hall in the CBD, and despite this morning’s confrontation they’ve pledged to continue the occupation.
FEMALE PROTESTER: I’m prepared to stay here. I’m committed to this movement because I think that obviously we are having an effect and they are feeling the ripples of what we’re doing and that’s why they are coming down so hard on us.
It is important to keep the discussion going. It is unfair how we’re being treated and we should have open protests. Like we’re practically being told that we can’t protest.
LIZ HOBDAY: The Occupy Melbourne protesters are challenging their eviction from the City Square last month in the Federal Court.
The Occupy Melbourne group is arguing the council acted beyond its powers when it called in the police.
It’s relying on constitutional and human rights law to argue its case, as well as the Victorian Charter of Human Rights.
ELEANOR HALL: Liz Hobday in Melbourne.
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