More action on racetrack

Wednesday, March 15, 1995 - 10:00

More action on racetrack

By Jeremy Smith

MELBOURNE — Seven hundred people braved the heat on March 4 to protest against construction of the Grand Prix racetrack at Albert Park. A fortnight earlier, 1000 protesters had stopped work on the site in a similar action.

Save Albert Park initiated this action. The protest was ordered in two cohorts. One group of 150 people were willing to be arrested. Another of around 500 marched in lines of six. This arrangement had enabled the protest to cut through the fences into the work compound on February 18.

Actor and SAP activist John Diedrich led the way with a running commentary on various instances of destruction as the rally wound through the park. SAP estimates that the area of destruction is equivalent in size to three and a half times the area of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Once again the protest penetrated the work site as police kept their distance from the rally. There were no arrests. The action was successful in stopping work on the park for the day. Another action is planned for Saturday, March 18, at the Ross Gregory Oval beginning at 9.30am.

From GLW issue 179