Are the police in their various guises being used by the States as agents provocateur?
First the peaceful protest; then the (over)reaction; then the (not-so)peaceful protest; and finally the definitive shut-down by those who have the big sticks.
Instead of deploying the police, why did the States not install a bank of port-a-loos and set up a soup kitchen? It would have been interesting to see how the dialogue then progressed.
As it is, no one knows anything much except the near certainty that there are a lot of people nursing grievances.
This could have been handled so much better.

I have no issue with protests/demonstrations but there have to be limits.

Once protesters start willfully damaging property, the protesters lose ALL credibility. Attacking the police is thoroughly unproductive (not to mention just plain wrong!) Protests tend to attract "professional protesters" (not the fault of the organisers, but still a problem) as well as those who have no idea why they are there.

Back in the day, I was involved with the occasional protest and all of the things I outline above were happening then too. Very annoying for those with a serious point to make.

There's more to the matter than this article discusses. A tad too Utopian to work...

I don't agree with much of what the Occupy people are on about (especially their socialist aspects), but I strongly agree they have a right to peaceful and non-destructive protest. And there's no time limit on that either.

NSW police are good at looking after themselves but quite authoritarian with everyone else.

the leader[or those close to them..
is usually the agent provocateur]

i tried joining them..
and they call new guys agent provocateur
thats how i learned..the minute you got a spokesperson..

TALKING FOR YOU..he is the agent

i know my rights
i have my right to speak
or listen..but not to be told to move
[unless im doing injury or damage]

look at the occupy protes
no leaders..so i went into town to watch

and found a spokesperson..talking..telling us the police told him to move[out of the shade into a hot kinggeorge square[a PUBLIC SPACE}

where i was watching the occupation..[lol] unoccupy the shade
they left as their leader instructed

so i went and simply sat in the shade
and was told by 4 hot sweaty dehydrated cops to move on

i said im in a public space
go away..anyhow they laid their hands on me..and carried me out into the hot sun[again]..then dropped me onto the hot grey stone pavement

they immediatly handcupped the unconcious me
then realised i had passed out and water boarded me with water on my head...and in my mouth..before finally undoing the handcuffs

anyhow in the end i was let to simply sit in the shade
in the public space..but by what right did the police service do what they did to me

[they are sworn to protect hrh..
[and her trusts..[estates/peoples]
not threaten then by council statute
assult me..

then pretend nothing hapend

its no use complaining..they refuse to accept the complaint
oh well thats what you get when police police revenue raising policy
instead of big business crime

we need both arms of govt..lower and upper house at least
or throw away state govt..and only have council police

the current system is broke
we are over governed and over taxed
govt serves corperate 'persons''..exploiting the living persons

ie the trust..we enjoined into
when we became commonwealth citisenry
under the protections of the serrvants of her royal majesty

but that too was stopped back in 2002
when i deliverd to her[via the police]
[and via her gg in canbera..a letter of demand

advising us we leave her..and her 1%
who lord us into endebiture[slavery]
via ursury..[odious debt..]

colluded treasonous debt..put on us via bad governance

with our own wikiseed/wikigeld
our own share of god given inheritance..[fair share of all creation]

ie cashflow
[see rev 22]

based on seed..[by weight'../*pound]
to the tree of life

via a promise to deliver

I doubt whether to many Lawyers would understand that in order for a coffee shop to survive its customers must have access without ferals getting in the way. Many of them make their money from the Government purse.