Police, including riot squad officers, were called this morning to forcibly remove anti-WestConnex campaigners trying to stop workers cutting down trees at Alexandria.
Dozens of protesters lay down on a roadway in front of trucks carrying tree-felling equipment at the eastern end of Sydney Park.
The protesters had been part of a 24-hours-a-day tent blockade, known as Camp Frogmouth, set up two weeks ago in an effort to halt road widening work along Euston Rd.
Protesters had vowed to stop the Sydney Motorway Corporation from removing dozens of mature trees as part of worked linked to the construction of the nearby WestConnex St Peters Interchange.
Chanting “stop WestConnex” and “save Sydney Park” the campaigners lay and sat down on a road close to the Alan Davidson Oval at Sydney Park.
After the tree contractor trucks arrived, a senior police officer warned the protesters that they had two minutes to leave the road or they would be deemed to be committing the offence of obstructing a roadway.
After ignoring the warning uniformed officers, some wearing the uniforms of the Public Order and Riot Squad, began picking up campaigners and moving them to the side of the road to allow the trucks to enter the site.
A WestConnex Action Group spokesman said on Facebook that about 50 protesters were dragged from in front of the trucks.
Dozens of protesters lay down on a roadway in front of trucks carrying tree-felling equipment at the eastern end of Sydney Park.
The protesters had been part of a 24-hours-a-day tent blockade, known as Camp Frogmouth, set up two weeks ago in an effort to halt road widening work along Euston Rd.
Protesters had vowed to stop the Sydney Motorway Corporation from removing dozens of mature trees as part of worked linked to the construction of the nearby WestConnex St Peters Interchange.
Chanting “stop WestConnex” and “save Sydney Park” the campaigners lay and sat down on a road close to the Alan Davidson Oval at Sydney Park.
After the tree contractor trucks arrived, a senior police officer warned the protesters that they had two minutes to leave the road or they would be deemed to be committing the offence of obstructing a roadway.
After ignoring the warning uniformed officers, some wearing the uniforms of the Public Order and Riot Squad, began picking up campaigners and moving them to the side of the road to allow the trucks to enter the site.
A WestConnex Action Group spokesman said on Facebook that about 50 protesters were dragged from in front of the trucks.
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