Five men, including Dylan Voller, were arrested this morning at a protest centred on Indigenous land rights at Broadbeach Mall, where Channel 7 were broadcasting the Commonwealth Games.
The arrests were made when the protest attempted to disrupt a live broadcast around 9am, moving from Kurrawa Beach to the mall where a 7 broadcast was taking place.
At 11am, Queensland Police released a statement outlining that four men were taken into custody for refusing to cooperate with police, and that one was arrested for a breach of bail in nearby Kurrawa Park.
The ABC has reported that fifth man is Dylan Voller, a former Northern Territory youth detention detainee who gained attention in 2016 when Four Corners footage showed him tied to a restraint chair and hooded in a detention facility.
Voller had previously been arrested alongside two other protesters for attempting to enter Carrara Stadium during the Games’ opening ceremony.
Today’s protest was part of an ongoing land rights protest around the Games called #Stolenwealthgames.
On Tuesday, protesters chanted “always was, always will be Indigenous land” behind a live Sunrise broadcast from Kurrawa Beach. The protestors focused on the show due to a segment aired last month on Indigenous issues featuring no Indigenous panelists.
ABC journalist Isobel Roe tweeted pictures and footage from the protest, estimating that were “maybe 100 officers watching [the] protest group“.
Maybe 100 officers watching protest group. @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/mtcVAvg5yh
— Isobel Roe (@isobelroe) April 12, 2018
Queensland Police have also stated that “initial information indicated whilst in the back of the police van, a man attempted to hurt himself” before police intervened. They report the man is now in a stable condition and in hospital for observation.
Talking to the ABC, protestor Boe Spearim called police heavy handed, and confirmed that protests would continue throughout the Games.
Source: ABC
Image credit: Darren Curtis/Channel 9
