Riot Police Raid Occupy Sydney

By Ruth Skilbeck

There were violent scenes as hundreds of riot police raided the  Occupy Sydney site at 5 am this morning, making 40 arrests and moving over 100 occupants from the site. Before dawn, police moved in to disperse the 8-day 24/7 occupation, part of the global movement against corporate greed, that started with Occupy Wall Street. 

Several dozens of occupants were injured. Occupants say they were given ten minutes to leave the site but police moved in immediately, and manhandled them off the site. Many were “attempting to peacefully link arms and refusing to move” from the Occupy Sydney statement:

“Approx 80 occupants were told they had 10 mins to leave but police moved in prior to the 10 mins and began arresting people and confiscating property.... Some of those arrested include people from the local homeless community who have been actively participating in the occupation.” 


ABC.net.au quoted participants deploring the police violence. One said: "Seeing people who have been peaceful for eight days, crying and screaming in pain after they were woken up out of their sleep -- it doesn't make any sense."

Another said: "I screamed, I was saying 'release the handcuffs, loosen the handcuffs my arm is going to break' - I said it over and over."

Police have denied using excessive brutality, and  claims of manhandling and bashing  were “grossly exaggerated”  said Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch to reporters in Sydney. 

Twenty-nine of the forty arrested will be “issued with infringement notices for breaching a local government act”  said police in a statement, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald. Four people are expected to be charged with assaulting police and seven were issued filed court attendance notices for breaching a local government act.

The raid followed a peaceful rally on Saturday attended by a crowd of all ages. Public talks  were held on a range of topics including  attacks to the public sector. 


The eviction follows the violent police removal of participants from the  Occupy Melbourne site at City Square, on Friday.

Occupy Sydney have called a planning meeting at 5pm this afternoon in the lobby of the Tower Building at UTS. Police have said that they will be monitoring the meeting, and  will be on standby at Martin Place.

                                 Occupy Sydney Eviction 5am 23rd October Video 1   www.youtube.com

The raid and its aftermath is being widely reported on social media and in the mainstream national and global media.

More information: 
Occupy Sydney. www.occupysydney.com
 ABC.net.au  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-23/police-defend-use-of-force-on-occupy-sydney-arrests/3595772

Sydney Morning Herald 'Police deny using excessive force in Sydney raid'.
Green Left Weekly.   http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49176