Seven people charged after raid at Blockade Australia camp at Colo property
Police “feared for their lives” after allegedly being pushed and shoved by members of extreme activist group Blockade Australia ahead of renewed protests. See inside the camp.
NSW
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Seven people have been charged and will appear in court today after police claimed an operation at a property in Colo left officers “fearing for their lives”.
Officers visited a property on Putty Rd at Colo, in Sydney’s far west, about 8.30am on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts to investigate the Blockade Australia group who planned to carry out peak-hour stopping protests across the city in coming weeks.
Police claim that shortly after arriving at the camp they were “surrounded by a group of people, who then damaged the vehicle tyres preventing it from leaving”.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said there were between 30 and 40 people on the campsite, some of who “pushed” and “shoved” the officers – despite Blockade Australia claiming they were “nonviolent”.
“Those police that were attacked by the group this morning feared for their lives,” Act Asst Comm Dunstan said.
“They called for urgent assistance and police from all over the Sydney Metropolitan Area responded to assist and provide aid to those police officers.
Officers initially arrested two people, while a number of others fled into bushland.
In the end, seven people in total were arrested and taken to Windsor Police Station.
A 24-year-old man from Putty was charged with six offences.
A 27-year-old man from Katoomba was charged with five offences.
A 22-year-old woman from Doctor George Mountain near Bega was charged with four offences.
A 21-year-old woman from South Brisbane was charged with four offences.
A 27-year-old man from Melbourne was charged with three offences.
A 20-year-old man from Northcote, Victoria was charged with wilfully obstructing an officer in execution of duty.
A 35-year-old man from Hurlstone Park was charged with aiding the commission of crimes.
All seven people have been refused bail and will appear in Penrith Local Court today.
Specialist teams including PolAir, the Public Order and Riot Squad, Raptor Squad and Operations Support Group called in and a crime scene set up.
The raid on the camp of the protest group which crippled energy supply lines and triggered law changes came after they vowed to “flood” the Sydney CBD during peak hour for an entire week.
Asst Comm Dunstan said police believe the group had been planning its protests on the camp site in recent weeks.
“(They have been) practising, rehearsing and constructing items, to conduct similar methods of protest that they conducted during the March protest activity,” he said.
“This is not traditional protest activity, this is criminal activity.”
A NSW Police operation including large numbers of officers will be carried out in the city centre from June 27 to July 2, when Blockade Australia have pledged to shut down the CBD with protest action – in an unprecedented promise to cause traffic chaos.
In a memo sent out last Thursday, the group said: “The climate crisis is here, it’s time to get off the fence and join in effective resistance”.
“Every day of the week crowds will be flooding Sydney’s CBD during morning peak hour to disrupt Australia’s operations … After each morning’s protest there will be debriefs to reflect and learn from the action so the next day can be even more effective.”
The group – who had more than a dozen members arrested after rolling protests in Port Botany earlier this year and the Hunter last year – took to Facebook with a slickly-edited 12 minute video in which members of the group implore viewers to join them in Sydney.
The group’s actions earlier this year led to the government ushering in increased penalties including $22,000 fines and up to two years in jail given the tick of approval.
Ahead of the threatened action, Deputy Premier and Police Minister Paul Toole said there would be a highly visible police operation running from June 27 to July 2 in a bid to curb protests.
“Illegal protests that cause mass disruptions affecting people’s ability to get to work, school or to just go about their everyday lives will not be tolerated.”
Shadow Police Minister Walt Secord slammed the actions of protesters and backed a police response.
“The NSW Police have my full and unreserved support in ‘handling’ the Blockade Australia protesters – as they see fit,” he said.
“These characters have the right to lawful protest on the sidewalk outside parliament like everyone else, but they mustn’t risk the safety of police and city workers or threaten jobs.
Blockade Australia was contacted for comment.
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