Indigenous protest group halts traffic
TATIANA CARTER, CHRIS MCMAHON AND BRIANNA MORRIS-GRANT
“I’M black, I’m deadly, you coppers better be ready.”
The protest cry echoed throughout Australia Fair carpark in Southport late yesterday afternoon as upwards of 50 protesters held up traffic and shoppers.
Flanked by highly trained PSRT officers and other plainclothes police, nearly equalling the number of protesters, the indigenous activists made their way on to the road, continuing to chant.
For the most part the protest was peaceful, although a number of protesters attempted to get a rise out of officers, yelling in their faces and goading them to arrest them.
The same group of “stolenwealth games” protesters had spent the previous 30 minutes causing afternoon traffic chaos in the heart of Southport.
Chanting into a megaphone, with two people inside koala costumes, the protesters staged a sit-in on the tram line, causing lengthy delays for people heading home and those trying to get to Commonwealth Games events.
A number of passengers voiced their annoyance at the delay.
“We couldn’t get on the tram and were directed to another location,” one passenger said. “All the guys who were directing us seemed very organised and they were very good at helping us. We were held up at Southport Station. I’m late for an event at home called ‘dinner’.”
Another said it was an inconvenience and delayed their trip.
“I’m not from here so I’m not too annoyed by it, it’s definitely an inconvenience,” she said.
Protester Gwenda Stanley, who has been one of the most vocal during the group’s action, said it was here for national attention to its plight.
“We’re just being vocal and making a visual impact,” Ms Stanley said. “Like I’ve said this is the Commonwealth Games, we’ve got international media, we need to make a statement and this is our platform.
“It’s a bit over-policed here, even this morning (Wednesday) they were down recording us.
“Look at these guys (PSRT police), they’re pretty scary looking and they’re just walking around the city. We’re we living? Is this Australia?
“There are more police here than protesters … it’s just a peaceful march, we just went in the centre to do a bit of shopping and on our way out.”
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