Melbourne

A day after the video of Occupy Melbourne “Tent Monsters” went viral, revealing the absurdity of the Melbourne City Council and police harassment of Occupy Melbourne, the authorities have responded with another display of brutality. As if offended by the display of non-violent creative resistance police and council officers today stripped “Tent Monster” Sarah of her the tent she was wearing as her clothes. Despite being repeatedly told she was not wearing any clothes other than the tent, it was removed with some violence, leaving her only clad in her underwear in a public park.
Related:Liberty Victoria condemns police -- OM press release -- OM tent monsters chase off the Victoria Police!
Footage of the assault 10min version -- 90 second version -- 5 min version -- Sarah confronts police after assault

TUESDAY, 6th DECEMBER, 2011 This morning at 8:45am a peaceful Occupy Melbourne Protester was forcibly stripped of her protest costume and discarded on the ground in her underwear in public.

The individual in question was part of the Occupy Melbourne protest and was dressed in a protest costume made from a converted tent. The significance of the costume was to highlight restrictions placed on protesters staging a 24/7 protest in Flagstaff Gardens.

                                  Conservationists in tree canopy lead way for tiny Leadbeater’s Possum

Logging has been halted today in the Toolangi State Forest, in the Central Highlands just an hour and a half north of Melbourne. 

“The forests of the Central Highlands have been decimated by years of unsustainable logging and more recently by bushfire. Any forest left standing must be immediately protected from logging”, said spokesperson for the group, Luke Pavia.

Occupy Melbourne's strategy of "going mobile" to get around the "Notice to comply" orders, continually issued against them by the Melbourne City Council and enforced by the police, was taken to a whole other level today 4th December. Watch the video below to see the Occupy Melbourne "tent monsters" emerge from their tents and literally chase the confused police and council officers out of the Flagstaff Gardens. This is a beautiful example of how creative non-violence can use humour to highlight and undermine the absurd use of state power. The hilarity of these actions does not change the fact that the State is trying to prevent Occupy Melbourne through constant harassment from creating a public space to discuss and organise for a fairer, peaceful and more sustainable world. On the 5th of December the Federal Court will hear a case testing the legality of the Melbourne City Council's actions against OM. May their spirit of resistance stay strong - get down there and support them!
Related: Occupy Melbourne outfoxes council and police -- OM Digest for news about the campaign -- OM Monsters on Youtube