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At least four people were arrested following a pro-Palestine rally that blocked a main road leading to Flemington Racecourse before the running of the Melbourne Cup.
Around 100 people protested at the intersection of Epsom and Racecourse roads on Tuesday, metres from the racecourse entry.
One protestor was forcibly pushed to the ground resulting in cuts and grazes. Credit: Chris Hopkins
The protesters parked a graffiti-covered van across the road and deflated its tyres, causing disruption at what police said was an “important intersection”. Police had the van, which was spray-painted with the words “ceasefire now”, towed away.
After police arrived, the protesters were split into two groups on either side of the intersection, barricaded by a line of officers.
Some protesters were also pepper-sprayed and at least one protester was pushed into the ground by police.
“In the course of managing the non-compliant protesters, police sprayed protesters before arresting three of them, who were all male,” a statement from police said.
Josh McConnon, who was walking past the protest, said he was tackled to the ground by police after he tried to help a protester up from the ground. Credit: Chris Hopkins
The statement said that a female protester who had climbed onto the roof of a different van was also arrested after she “failed to obey police instructions to come down”.
Josh McConnon, a local who was walking past the protest, told this masthead that police tackled him to the ground head-first after he attempted to help up a protester.
“I asked why she was thrown to the ground aggressively, and then as I was helping her up, they tried to grab my arm. I tried to pull away, and that’s when I was tackled to the ground face-first,” he said.
McConnon’s housemate, watching the incident from the balcony, recorded a video after he was tackled. In the video, five officers can be seen pinning McConnon, who was lying on his stomach, to the ground for around one minute and putting him in handcuffs.
He said he was charged with assaulting a police officer and released. Victoria Police was contacted for comment.
At least four people arrested at the protest were taken to Melbourne West Police Station to be charged for resisting arrest and hindering police. The protest was dispersed at 1.15pm.
Elsewhere, animal welfare protesters held a “Nup to the Cup” event near the racecourse. That protest featured several dozen people with placards calling for the Melbourne Cup to be abolished.
Although there were no horse fatalities for the third year in a row, racehorses Gold Trip, Alenquer and Right You Are pulled up lame after the marquee race.
Nup to the Cup campaigners protest the Melbourne Cup in front of racegoers on Racecourse Road.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Vets initially ticked off all 23 competing horses as free of injury, but after re-examination once they had cooled down, three were found to be lame.
Defending winner Gold Trip was found to be lame in the right front.
Alenquer, who was only cleared to race on Tuesday morning after suffering a stone bruise, was lame in the left front and Right You Are, who failed to finish, was lame behind.
Those injuries were not deemed serious.
With Damien Ractliffe
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