Premier’s Tower of Power hit by protests for second day in a row
For the second day in a row activists have rallied outside the Premier’s city office - this time to protest the controversial Gabba redevelopment.
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Activists have rallied outside the Premier’s city office for the second day in a row - this time to protest the controversial Gabba redevelopment.
While unions descended on One William Street yesterday to protest government inaction on decriminalising sex work, today it was protesters calling on the state government to halt its plans to demolish and rebuild the Gabba stadium ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
Historic East Brisbane State School will also need to be demolished to make way for the redevelopment.
Greens mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan led this morning’s protest.
“It is outrageous that the government want to shut down a public primary school, destroy a public green space…displace people from their homes during a rental crisis,” he said.
“We’re here not just to send a message to Palaszczuk, but to send a message to the entire political establishment.
“I think the shift (in sentiment) we’ve seen, particularly from the Liberal National Party and Brisbane City Council is entirely thanks to community pressure, to the people standing here today,” he said.
Greens MP for South Brisbane Amy McMahon said the group would not lay down “without a fight”.
“They really thought we’d say thank you so much for the Olympics?,” she said.
“I’m going to keep fighting for those billions of dollars to go to the things that Queensland actually needs.”
Ms McMahon accused the Palaszczuk government of using the Olympics to distract voters from other serious issues.
“It’s designed to distract us from the fact that our hospitals are understaffed and overrun…that we have one of the worst housing crisis in a generation,” she said.
Greens council candidate for Coorpooroo ward and East Brisbane State School parent Kath Angus urged the Queensland government to listen to what the protesters had to say.
“$2.7 billion of Queenslanders money when we have got everyday families struggling to afford cheese is an absolute waste of money,” she said.
“It is in poor taste, it is time to read the room, we do not need a whole new stadium.
“We are calling on the state government to come to their senses and reverse this garbage demolition. It is a bad idea.”
Mr Sriranganantha said the planned demolition of both the stadium and the school was a “disgraceful waste of money” and the new stadium would mean Queenslanders get less public housing.
“It is insulting to Queenslanders, the government say they don’t have enough money for public housing but somehow have a stadium project no one wants,” he said.
When asked about the money the Olympics would generate through tourism and transport opportunities, Mr Sriranganantha said Queensland shouldn’t need the event to provide these improvements.
“I think people will come to Brisbane for the Olympics regardless of a new stadium,” he said.
“I think it’s ridiculous to say we need to host an Olympics to get better public transport.”
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