A photographer who provides images for pro-Palestinian groups has lost part of his ear and perforated an eardrum after being shot by police with a rubber bullet during a violent protest against a Melbourne military expo.
The 33-year-old photographer, who provides images for Free Palestine Melbourne and Free Palestine Coalition Naarm, was wounded at about 10am on Wednesday and says he is waiting to find out whether he will suffer permanent hearing loss.
Anti-war demonstrators hurled rocks, eggs, beer bottles and canned food at police, who responded with stun grenades, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets during a series of skirmishes outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday.
The photographer, who asked not to be identified to protect his employment, was standing about 25 metres from a line of police who had blocked Spencer Street. His last photo before the incident reveals more than 20 protesters, journalists and other photographers were standing between him and police when the rubber bullet was fired.
“It felt like I’d been hit by a car, I didn’t see it coming,” he told The Age.
“There was a sharp pain and a buzzing in my head. I put my hand to my ear and I could just feel a throbbing pain and realised there was blood, and I’d lost part of my ear.”
Protest scenes on Wednesday.Credit: Christopher Hopkins
He was treated by medical staff at the scene and then taken to hospital.
At the time the man was hit, The Age witnessed police firing up to a dozen rubber bullets over a period of about 20 minutes. Daily Mail reporter Wayne Flower was also shot with a rubber bullet during the protest.
The photographer, who was not wearing anything to cover his face, claims he was deliberately targeted by officers.
“It must have been targeted as I was standing well behind and not part of the main group. Usually, they shoot the rubber bullets at the lower body, not the upper body. If I was at the front or bending over, I could understand it,” he said.
He has covered up to one hundred rallies since October last year, posting photographs to the social media accounts of several Pro-Palestinian and human rights organisations.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said: “There is absolutely no evidence to suggest police targeted any photographers.”
On Wednesday, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton defended the police response, while lashing the behaviour of many of the 1500 demonstrators who attended the rally.
Patton branded them hypocrites for attending the rally with an intention to cause violence.
“They come here to protest against war, so presumably anti-violence, and the only way I can describe them is a bunch of hypocrites. Their conduct today was absolutely appalling.”
Patton insisted his officers had exercised restraint.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the officers down there and to see the way they used restraint when confronted by people intent on using violence,” he said.
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