Protests, police leave Melbourne businesses fighting to survive

The Melbourne protests have killed off what little trade inner-city businesses had been living on during the pandemic.

Meet Sando co-owner Alex Liu outside his struggling business in Melbourne. Picture Nicki Connolly

Melbourne’s chaotic protests — and the large numbers of police still patrolling the CBD — are killing off what little trade businesses have survived on during the pandemic.

Alex Liu, co-owner of the Meet Sando gourmet sandwich bar, near CFMEU headquarters on Elizabeth St, said the protests prevented deliveries and scared away visitors to the Queen Victoria Markets.

“Not just on Monday but pretty much throughout the week, really,” he said. “It’s just added another layer of stress.”

At Cafe Victoria, manager Ram Arora said he had done good business from the construction workers stationed outside CFMEU headquarters on Monday.

A week later, Mr Arora said the protesters were gone but police remained outside the CFMEU headquarters. Dozens of protesters purporting to be healthcare workers opposing mandatory vaccinations gathered in Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy on Monday before they were moved on by police.

“I never thought I’d see this in Melbourne. It looks like a police state, it’s crazy,” he said.

“Hopefully they can solve this problem peacefully and we can all move on and just have a normal life.”

Pedestrian foot traffic in the CBD is down 73.3 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, while public transport use is at 16 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp said that during last week’s chaos her US-based son had called her to see if she had been harmed.

“That‘s not how we want to project ourselves in the world,” she said. “But I think in the scheme of things that’s what Monty Python refers to as a flesh wound … It does hurt, but it’s not fatal.”

Ms Capp said she’d been inundated with messages of support from people determined to bring Melbourne back to life.

Long lines formed outside Foodbank’s La Trobe St pop-up shop on Monday, with the charity forced to close last Wednesday instead of serving 600 international students.

“As soon as we thought our service and their safety might be compromised we made the decision to close,” said chief executive Dave McNamara.

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra called for calm.

“Let’s work together, peacefully, to get there and re-establish our reputation,” he said.