Gympie Bypass protests heat up as Gympie Pyramid sees more arrests

Dramatic arrest footage has emerged from the ‘Gympie Pyramid’ site where protesters continue to clash with police over the planned $1 billion Bruce Hwy bypass.

Footage has emerged of a dramatic weekend clash between police and protesters as the fight over the future of the “Gympie Pyramid” site escalates.

Seven people were arrested Saturday as a result of the incident, in which at least one protester and two officers suffered minor injuries.

A post on the Kabi Dreaming Facebook page saying the group was “distressed” after one of their members was injured at the “Djaki Kundu” site Saturday.

In the footage, protesters speaking with officers outside the fenced-off area at Rocky Ridge Rd begin chanting the land belonged to the First Nations people, saying it “always was, always will be”.

Police grapple with a protester near the “Gympie Pyramid” as a second protester rushes in.

The camera then pans to a scuffle happening to the right of the blocked road where a woman can be seen in the grasp of police.

Other protesters rush over, including a man who pushes his face in front of the police officer’s.

He is pulled away from the scuffle but soon returns.

The man is then pushed away by a third officer while the woman is placed in handcuffs and moved inside the fenced-off area before being put in the back of a police wagon.

Police said on Monday five men and two women were arrested during the incident for trespass, contravening a direction, obstructing police and breaching bail conditions.

Six of the seven were released from the Gympie Watch-house that same day and bailed to appear in Gympie Magistrates Court.

The seventh, a 48-year-old man, remained in custody on an objection to bail.

He was scheduled to appear in Gympie Magistrates Court Monday.

Police said a 42-year-old woman, arrested at the site for contravening a direction, obstructing police and stating a false name, told officers at the Watch-house she had pain in her wrist.

Police said seven people were arrested as a result of Saturday’s events.

QAS was called, they said, but she was released before they arrived.

“Police spoke to the woman yesterday and an internal review is currently being conducted,” police said.

Two police officers sustained minor injuries, grazes to an arm and a hurt back, during the arrests on Saturday.

“Both women received first aid treatment.”

A peaceful protest was later conducted outside the Gympie police station.

“The Queensland Police Service supports lawful and peaceful protest and is committed to working with groups to plan and facilitate these activities,” they said.

“We however we will not tolerate... behaviour which poses a risk to the safety of individuals or disruption of services provided lawfully by businesses or disruption of transportation networks or infrastructure.

At least one protester and two police officers suffered minor injuries during the incident on Saturday.

“The QPS continues to urge protest leaders to engage with police so that we can map out a solution for lawful and peaceful protest activity.”

The clash is the latest in an ongoing fight over the site, which protesters claim is of significant cultural heritage.

Two applications for its protection under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act were refused by Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley earlier this year.

Following the second rejection in October police and State Transport staff swooped in to remove protesters from the site, with several trespass charges laid.

The following week protesters handed TMR a “tribal eviction notice” and ordered them off the land.

Protesters have lodged a new application under the ATSIHP Act with Ms Ley’s office, including a new section of land along with the area already rejected by the department.