Occupy Melbourne Tent Monsters

A creative response to a ban on camping!

However that led to this (pedictably)

Tent Protest Costume Violently Stripped from Protester's Body

This morning at 8:45am a peaceful Occupy Melbourne Protester was violently stripped of her protest costume and disgarded on the ground in her bra and panties. The individual in question was part of the Occupy Melbourne protest and was dressed in a protest costume made from a converted tent. The significance of the costume was to hightlight restrictions placed on protesters staging a 24/7 protest in Flagstaff Gardens.

The protester was surrounded by at least 4 Melbourne City Council officers and 8 Victorian police officers

Her movement was restricted by the formation of officers surrounding her and she was subsequently restrained as officers proceeded with aggressively removing her costume. At each stage she declared that she did not consent or feel comfortable with the actions of the council and police officers, stating that this was a sexual assault."This is not consensual'

Her requests and declarations were ignored as officers continued to rip and jossle her costume and person. A knife was requested and used by MCC Officers as the Protest Costume was cut from her body. The remaining severed costume was violently torn from her body while the protester herself was disgarded, semi-naked and crying on the ground as Vic police and MCC officers walked away with the costume.

NO EFFORT was made to assess her health or wellbeing after the incident.