There was no violence until the police created it. The alternative was to let the Occupation continue. (It is alleged that the Victoria Police removed their identification tags. Does anyone support that? And why would individual police do that?

I attended demonstrations in Melbourne in the late 1960s and early 1970s and I recall individual members of the Victoria Police Force removing their IDs (I think they wore a tag with a number only back then) and it was always an indication that they were about to wade into the crowd violently. It was scary - when individual police started removing their ID, you knew you could be in for a hiding. I personally saw them at close range hitting people indiscriminately with batons, punching protestors and swearing at them.

Genuine democrats can only deplore the police action in Melbourne and it was heartening to see the editorial in The Australian defend the right of peaceful assembly.

All that the State Government, the Mayor and the police have achieved is the lifting of a rock only to drop it on their own feet. Future rallies and occupations will be much larger.

I think we should give the cops a couple of snow plows to clean the rubbish of the public road, & perhaps a couple of water cannon to wash off any residue

Public gathering is for public parks, not public roads.

Well said Pip. At last a popular protest movement against selfishness and greed and isn't there a lot of it. Joyce of Qantas for starters. The comments from the right wing, smash them up and chuck them out, mob says it all.
Mandatory detention, genocide of Tamils,humiliation of Aboriginals, the mindlessness of the war in Afghanistan,the mis-use of water,the over-the-top taxpayer funding of private schools, means nothing to them, because its all about THEM, middle class victims of...of...THEMSELVES.

Bruce Haigh

Here's The Australian newspaper's editorial: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/occupying-the-protesters-time/story-e6frg71x-1226173476574

Excerpt from it: "It is not for Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle or anyone else to decide when they have had sufficient time to make their point. There is no meter running on freedom of expression. The internet and social media have their place, but, historically, the town square is in part a space for public expression".

These people are "citizens" ?
Tristan,
From which planet are you watching ? They are twice as bad as those they're supposedly protesting against. Morons who have no idea about putting in an effort.

*but, historically, the town square is in part a space for public expression*

Well Perth has in fact just built a speakers corner, so that
people can have their say. That does not mean that its meant to
be a camping site with tents, which is what the problem was
in Melbourne.

The cops put up with all sorts of abuse, from spitting to biting.
My sympathies go out to them, its a tough job and I wouldn't want
it.