Police attack Camp Sovereignty departure

MELBOURNE — In the early hours of May 11, police attacked 150 Indigenous activists and their supporters as they removed embers from the "sacred flame" that had been burning in the Kings Domain park in central Melbourne since the Camp Sovereignty occupation began on March 12.

The activists had previously negotiated an agreement with the Melbourne City Council for the embers to be taken to Indigenous communities throughout Victoria, before the Indigenous activists put out the fire themselves. However, after the embers were removed, police pushed away the activists to allow council workers to douse the fire.

Camp Sovereignty was established by the Black GST group before what the Commonwealth Games and was an organising point for protest actions during the games.

Tony Iltis

From Green Left Weekly, May 24, 2006.

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From GLW issue 668