Police break up Brisbane tent embassy protest

Updated

Hundreds of police have broken up an Aboriginal tent embassy in Brisbane, escorting and sometimes dragging away about 80 protesters from their makeshift camp in Musgrave Park.

Police say about 30 protesters were arrested, with the rest choosing to leave peacefully after officers moved in before dawn today.

For the latest on the protest follow ABC News Online's live coverage.

The embassy has been in the South Brisbane park since March but the Brisbane City Council wants the protesters to move to make way for the annual Greek festival held at the site.

All the protesters have been forced out of the park and many are now on the surrounding streets and at a nearby Indigenous community centre. There is still a heavy police presence in the area.

Supporters of Brisbane's tent embassy say there has been a return to the bad old days of Queensland being a 'police state'.

They say the fight for sovereignty is far from over and warn there will be more protests.

Aboriginal leader Sam Watson says the protesters will now march to State Parliament.

There are now about 35 police officers outside Parliament, in the area where preparations are underway for the Governor Penny Wensley's visit to officially open the House this afternoon.

Mr Watson says this morning's police action is overkill by Mr Quirk and Premier Campbell Newman.

"We say to Campbell Newman and Graham Quirk - shame, shame, shame, shame," he said.

"Musgrave Park right now must be the safest place in Australia. We've got our own police force of 250 heavily armed police."

Jan Oliver was among a group supporting the protesters and says police were heavy-handed.

"I think it's totally and utterly unnecessary," she said.

"It's a police state acting against [Indigenous people] - it's a continuation of the abuse of Indigenous people.

"Of the police acting against Indigenous people when a great many people in Australia support the Indigenous rights claims."

But Chief Superintendent Brent Carter denies claims the police presence was over the top.

"We deem the amount of police necessary - we acted professionally," he said.

"No-one was hurt and that's a safe outcome for us."

Mr Watson says the new State Government wants to expand uranium mining and this justifies their protest.

"This is what this tent protest across the road here - this is why it's been here for two months, and will be here for another two months, two years, 20 years - to assert the rights of Aboriginal people," he said.

"To assert the rights of Aboriginal people to manage our country.

"Unless Aboriginal people will start managing our country again, the land will be destroyed."

The Brisbane City Council says it did not have a problem with the movement until it started expanding and became a free campsite at Musgrave Park for anyone wanting to stay there.

The council says with the Paniyiri Greek Festival due to be held in the park this weekend, the embassy has to go.

Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk says he is not kicking them out altogether and has offered them a nearby section of the park.

Earlier this morning, dozens of protesters stoked a large bonfire in the park, vowing to stand firm.

South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad says this morning's tensions could have been avoided.

"The Greek and the local Indigenous communities have lived together harmoniously for very many years," she said.

"A solution could have been reached, but the first time the Lord Mayor turned his mind to this was on Saturday when he turned up and asked people to move on.

"The last time a leader evicted Aboriginal people from Musgrave Park was Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen in 1984."

The organisers of this weekend's Paniyiri Greek Festival say the event could not go ahead unless the tent embassy was moved.

In a letter to the council, the Greek Orthodox Community of St George says the tent embassy is located at the major entry gate for the festival and on the area allocated for rides.

They say the number of tents has doubled over the past two weeks and the festival would not be able to operate with the current location of the tent embassy.

Earlier today, organiser Wayne Wharton said the 30 protesters had been preparing for police to move in.

"Basically what people have got to understand, this is not a campground - this is a stand-by First Nation's people or embassies right around the country," he said.

"Whether [people] like it or not, or Greek Australia, or any other ethnic immigrant that's come to this country, we own this country, we're fighting for our birthright."

Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, indigenous-culture, government-and-politics, local-government, law-crime-and-justice, brisbane-4000

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