“Victoria Police are out there now and they are doing every one of us proud and I reject the criticisms that we’ve seen from some quarters in the past 24 hours,” Mr Andrews said. “I will always support the right of every Victorian, if they so choose, to peacefully protest but there’s a big difference between peaceful protest and what we saw yesterday and potentially today. “I thank every member of Victoria Police for their commitment and I’d say to them be in no doubt, not only will we guarantee as a government the resources that Victoria Police need but we have a resolve to continue to support them in everything they need.” Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Footage of the incident involving Seven News reporter Paul Dowsley shows him being pushed and grabbed by a male police officer as he walks diagonal to the police line as they attempt to corrall hundreds of activists.

"You'll be arrested if you don't leave," the officer can be heard saying. Seconds later Dowsley is again grabbed and dragged, this time by two female officers, as he appears to try to walk away. Protesters try to stop delegates entering the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne on Wednesday. Credit:David Crosling, AAP As he walks towards the Yarra River, seemingly shocked by the interaction, he's again grabbed by the same two female officers. The experienced reporter, who's been covering the rally since Monday, later took to social media to explain his shock.

A protester chanting 'land rights not mining rights' glued herself to a podium inside the conference on Wednesday. "Incredible. I was obeying their direction to move to another area. I’m stunned," he wrote. Victoria Police has disputed Dowsley's version of events and accused the reporter of not following police instructions. "This was a safety issue and Victoria Police believes an appropriate amount of force was used to move the reporter from the area," it said in a statement. "We have given media repeated advice to be mindful of their surroundings to ensure their safety to avoid risk of injury."

At one car park entrance, two people glued themselves to the road and were later removed by police. Elsewhere, protesters had minor scuffles with police, including officers on horseback. Police also used pepper spray. Twelve people were arrested on Wednesday morning, most offences relating to intentionally obstructing an emergency services worker, a police spokesman said. "One female protester who ‘locked on’ to a hand rail within the disabled access ramp has been removed," the spokesman said. A protester who gained access to the conference stormed one of the theatres during a presentation by an executive at OceanaGold shortly before 11.45am, and glued herself to the podium.

"Land rights, not mining rights," the woman chanted, before being escorted out by security guards. Protesters lock arms to try and stop people entering the convention centre. Credit:David Crosling/AAP Matt Canavan, the federal Resources Minister, told the conference the activists gathered outside were like the "Big Bad Wolf". "I want to draw the comparison to our friends outside on the street - some of whom can't move at the moment because they've super-glued themselves to the ground - because so often these radical green activists present themselves with a lot of huff, a lot of puff ... but so often they don't blow the house down." Mr Canavan said climate campaigners and his political opponents had inaccurately billed the last federal election as the "climate change election", saying voters did not like coal mines and wanted to stop Adani.

"All of these things were proven wrong," he said. Police set up orange barriers on Wednesday to try to keep the crowds further away from the entrance, after 47 protesters were arrested, four police officers were injured and one activist hospitalised in Tuesday's violent confrontations. A woman glues herself to the road. Credit:David Crosling/AAP A woman has glued her hand to the road as part of the protest. Credit:Caroline Hartnett The protesters have vowed to be "as disruptive as possible" and plan to stay there all day on Wednesday.

"We have a number of blockade lines that are up," she said. "We are calling on Victoria Police not to continue its brutality ... the actions of the police force yesterday were over the top and did not match and was not respectful of protesters' actions." But a Victoria Police spokesman on Wednesday said the police response had been appropriate. Protesters targeted conference delegates at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne, on Wednesday. Credit:David Crosling, AAP "While we respect the rights of people to peacefully protest the unlawful action undertaken today is a drain on police resources from across greater Melbourne," he said.

"The police operation is ongoing however Victoria Police would like to state that any action taken by officers this morning has been in response to the protesters’ activity and in accordance with training." Both groups have both been accused of heavy-handed tactics and violence during the protests. Police were accused of pushing protesters down the stairs, using their batons on those who refused to follow orders and they repelled the crowd with capsicum spray, while activists harassed mining delegates, spat on them and dragged them to the ground, according to footage captured by Nine News cameras on Tuesday. The activists faced off against police, who used capsicum spray on the crowd on Tuesday. Credit:AAP "Any action taken today by our officers ... is in accordance with the training they received," Acting Commander Tim Tully said on Tuesday.

"We have shown a hell a lot of discretion and a lot of tolerance. We have situations where people have been able to engage in passive and peaceful protests, however, when we have requested protesters to move on from areas [they have not]. "Actions have been more than justified." Greens MP Adam Bandt said he believed the police response has been "pretty heavy-handed". Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "The bottom line is, no matter what the police do, you cannot arrest your way out of global warming," he told radio station 3AW on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, activist Camila Serra, 23, was taken to hospital after a horse stepped on her, a male protester was treated at the scene for a laceration to the head, and four police officers were injured, including two who were taken to hospital for treatment. Organisers of the International Mining and Resources Conference on Wednesday condemned the violence in the protests outside the conference venue, and said they were reassuring international visitors that they anti-social behaviour was not reflective of Melbourne's "renowned hospitality". "We do not condone the level of violence that we have seen in the past two days," an IMARC spokeswoman said. - With Erin Pearson, Rachel Eddie, Nick Toscano, AAP