Occupy Melbourne Protesters Arrested, Dragged By Police (VIDEO)

Buzzfeed obtained footage through the Herald Sun of police in Australia, pulling, dragging and arresting 'Occupy' protesters in Melbourne's City Square.

The paper reports that, on Friday, nearly 100 Occupy-protesters were arrested while 20 suffered minor injuries. A police officer and a protester were taken to the emergency room. Eight police cars were damaged during the protest, police told the newspaper.

Occupy Melbourne protesters have been camping out in the City Square for over a week, PerthNow reports. Chaos broke out on Friday as about a hundred activists defied an order and refused to leave the square by 9am.

According to The Australian, police had taken down the campsite and destroyed tents before the arrests. Despite Friday's events, 400 protesters rallied in Federation Square in Melbourne on Saturday.

Yet the arrests on Friday continue to fuel reactions on Twitter.

@Suicidegirls tweeted, "This is INSANE!!!! Mass arrests @OccupyMelbourne..."

@peacegalaxy tweets, "Shame on Melbourne Police. POWER TO THE PEACEFUL! Riot Police Brutalize Occupy Melbourne Protesters."

And @TheDebateRoom writes, "Please contact the Occupy Melbourne legal team with all reports of police brutality. Especially if you were hurt."

The 'Occupy' movement, which celebrated its one-month anniversary in New York, spread across the world in the past week, including demonstrations in London Paris, Rome and South Korea.

Law enforcement in New York was also criticized when a YouTube video (shown below) surfaced of a cop shooting pepper spray into a crowd of women.

 

Comments

[search4helps]

05:58 PM on 10/26/2011

Well, without the nation there will no police on the street or police office. Any country in this world, there is no need to change if the law and their government responsible of their jobs as an elected official position of the people for the people. When the nation or thousand of the people of that nation march to demand for change, that means something is wrong from the top leaders of that nation.

To my understanding, if police is paid by taxpayers, they will never harm people but if they are paid by private business they will do whatever to maintain their jobs.

[Bluemarbles]

08:50 PM on 10/23/2011

How disturbing to see the protester in the bright green wool cap who looks as if he's been yanked by the head. Hope he's okay.

[dimplesmile7]

05:28 PM on 10/23/2011

Teabaggers this is the movement you will never be able to accomplish. You are too small time.

[danielboone]

03:08 AM on 10/25/2011

We don't break the law Sea baggers!

[landskroon]

11:00 AM on 10/23/2011

I think many of the governments fail to understand the power of this movement that was created as a result of Government`s servedom towards the Financial Institutions instead of serving "we the people". I think they will feel what that means during next elections, not sauid that the change will be for the better. It`s not the change of Government that will solve the problems, we need very strict REGULATING on htese institutions and, a tax to take all the profits made by hedge-funds and other speculators. I may hope there will be no Government that seeks its way out by making a war for that purpose.

[danielboone]

03:08 AM on 10/25/2011

Oh yea it is so big and tough!

[Billy Jack]

10:10 AM on 10/23/2011

The movement is worldwide, there is no stopping it now. Push to victory!

[danielboone]

03:09 AM on 10/25/2011

Lots a luck buddy there might me 10,000 states side!

[ur2nutty4me]

10:00 AM on 10/23/2011

The Aussie protesters won't take this sitting down. This is the kind of Government actions that will cause this protest to grow exponentially across the globe. Wait till a protester gets accidentally or deliberately killed by the police and watch the fun begin. The US and other world governments and corporations are playing with fire and best negotiate and fix problems now before they are fixed by the protesters. Is it not strange we have heard little from Boehner and his cronies as soon as this movement started gaining public attention. You can run but you won't be able to hide and you have precious little time before the next election to start doing something for the people.

[babybecks]

09:42 AM on 10/23/2011

The same people cheering these police officers actions, are the same folks that were cheering the police officers with water hoses and dogs back in Alabama.

[Billy Jack]

10:13 AM on 10/23/2011

And probably cheered the Kent State Massacre

[danielboone]

03:10 AM on 10/25/2011

I"m Cheering Yea Yeah Ya Ya!!!

[aolnewsaol]

09:41 AM on 10/23/2011

A cop was seriously hurt by these peaceful protesters.
Eight police cars were damaged.

[Billy Jack]

10:14 AM on 10/23/2011

Seems to me the cops are the ones with the weapons

[danielboone]

03:10 AM on 10/25/2011

To bad they don't use their weapons I would!

[Jared Jentzsch]

10:59 AM on 10/23/2011

So don't go there. No cops, no broken cop cars.

[Kenneth Galvin]

09:10 AM on 10/23/2011

OMG look at these violent protesters standing in a park - how dare they stand there

[kyeblue]

09:49 AM on 10/23/2011

how about someone sitting in your living room or backyard, or your driveway, peacefully chanting. They have right to protest but no right to occupy any public place whenever you like. Protesters has to respect others right to use the same public space.

[Billy Jack]

10:13 AM on 10/23/2011

You are confusing "private" and "public" space. There is a big difference

[Kenneth Galvin]

10:49 AM on 10/23/2011

that's really dumb - what's the point of protesting if nobody can hear you -No change will happen unless people stand up for their rights - I am sure you heard of this "No tax without representation", image if people didn't stand up for their rights hundreds of years ago

[danielboone]

03:13 AM on 10/25/2011

And fowl the land throwing garbage everywhere relieving themselves on the ground. You guys really take care of old mother Earth don't ya?

[ramal]

09:05 AM on 10/23/2011

Australia, it's the New Syria.

[JasonJM]

07:42 AM on 10/23/2011

What were they supposed to do, ask them to leave?
They did that already.
Tear gas and rubber bullets would have been better.

[Aj Beamish]

08:51 AM on 10/23/2011

So much for the belief in democracy, eh? Just come out of the closet and call yourself a fascist already.

[babybecks]

09:40 AM on 10/23/2011

Yeah, just like in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham. They deserved what they got...

[IhateNeoCons]

07:14 AM on 10/23/2011

Dictators, like the Taliban or So-Damn Insane commonly use public executions. The intent is to intimidate the populace. Now this behavior may not be on that scale, but the intent is the same. Kind of makes you wonder just how far the political hacks in power would go if they thought they could get away with it, doesn't it?

[mgd2854]

08:52 AM on 10/23/2011

If they could get away with it there would be no doubt they would shoot to kill!

[Billy Jack]

10:15 AM on 10/23/2011

They are working on that

[AbrahamMcLemore]

07:07 AM on 10/23/2011

Are there any OWS protests that do NOT feature arrests?

[Aj Beamish]

08:55 AM on 10/23/2011

If you're protesting and not getting arrested YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

[AbrahamMcLemore]

10:01 AM on 10/23/2011

Not many arrests at the Tea Party rallies and they have had an influence on the political discourse.
We shall see what influence is accomplished by defecating on patrol cars, breaking windows, and stealing each others computers.

[v eyepete]

06:56 AM on 10/23/2011

You can not beat up the entire population of your country! People don't go risk their life for nothing. Citizens of the world are unhappy with our rich who have become out of touch rulers. Why don't they just use the energy to enact reform, rather than break heads. It is time the wealthy of the world understand that what just happened to Gaddafi can happen to any leader if the people you oppress get fed up enough. Much of the violence is provoked by the police in the first place. Enact reform, stop being so greedy. Know that a working and well fed population wont give you problems. You can not be wealthy at the expense of the entire population of a country. This will not bring any peace to your wealth.

[shamrockclover]

06:26 AM on 10/23/2011

Well done, tough Aussie cops!

[v eyepete]

07:06 AM on 10/23/2011

Those protesters were just standing there. They did nothing to be dragged and brutalized like they were. I wonder if those police would allow someone to mistreat their own children like that? You say tough, I say only 'cowards' would only brutalize young women like that, five police to one skinny girl. This is shameful and dishonorable behavior of men turned into a pack of dingos. How do they live with themselves?They should be shunned by everyone who knows them.

[neglobama]

07:47 AM on 10/23/2011

Eight police cars were damaged.
Those protesters were not just standing there. You lie.

[kyeblue]

09:56 AM on 10/23/2011

how would you feel if 100 tea party members protest on your driveway.

[XtfrM2]

07:41 AM on 10/23/2011

"Well done, tough Aussie cops!"

Too bad for you and the "tough Aussie cops." You lose. This sort of police-state style brutality merely strengthens the movement and causes it to grow. You should ask yourself 1) why these occupations frighten you so, and 2) if you're not with the 99%, who do you imagine you're fighting for? H8 to break it to you, but you're never going to join the 1% - that club is closed.

[aolnewsaol]

08:29 AM on 10/23/2011

A bunch of looters insist they are 99%.