Police accused of 'ramrodding' Indian protesters

1 Jun 2009, 12:05 pm   -   Source: AAP
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An Indian protester in an overnight protest in Melbourne has accused the police of ramrodding' protesters to break up their sit-in.

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An Indian protester at Monday's overnight blockade of Melbourne's city streets has accused the police of "ramrodding" protesters to break up their sit-in.

Yogesh Malhotra, a banker, says about 200 police surrounded protesters and then moved in, six officers at a time on individual protesters, punching them while dragging them off the tram tracks outside Flinders Street Station about 5.10am (AEST).

"There was definitely an amount of excessive force by Victoria Police," Mr Malhotra told ABC Radio.

"(There were) six (police) to one guy who was sitting down peacefully, who was punched and dragged."

Mr Malhotra said one officer had used an amplifier to ask protesters to move to Federation Square at 5.05am, but protesters had not been able to hear him clearly.

"While he was making his announcement we were already surrounded by 200 policeman and after a while... six of the guys (police), they came and they ramrodded one of the guys, they dragged him."

He said police were "punching" and "using pressure point tactics" while dragging protesters away.

The protest rally was organised by the Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA) after a series of violent attacks on students which they claim are racially motivated.

The protester's concerns conflicted with police accounts of the operation.
   
Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said on Monday an appropriate amount of force was used by Victoria Police members to the remove the protesters.
   
Mr Overland told reporters he saw "nothing inappropriate" in the approach of police who broke up the protest about 5.15am (AEST) on Monday at one of Melbourne's busiest intersections, the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets.

"There was some force used after the students were given the opportunity for the last time to leave the intersection and they refused to do so," Mr Overland said.

"Police moved in to remove them.

"There was resistance. There was linking of arms.

"There was hanging on to one another, and there was some force used in order to free the particular individuals who'd been targeted by the police and removed."

Mr Overland, who watched the police operation on camera, urg

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