Angus Thompson From:
Herald Sun
November 17, 2011 10:09AM
UPDATE 11.25am: OCCUPY Melbourne protesters have supplied drugs to homeless children and wards of the state as young as 12, a charity group says.
The Salvation Army's Major Brendan Nottle said two 16-year-old girls were also invited to the home of activists in their late 20s and early 30s, while another 16-year-old was given marijuana to smoke.
"We've had young people actually coming to our workers, as young as 12 and 13, and saying that they’ve been down at Occupy Melbourne," said on 3AW this morning.
"They’ve been making statements to our workers around them being allowed to sniff glue when they’ve been staying there."
Mr Nottle said the incidents had taken place during protests at City Square, Edinburgh Gardens and Treasury Gardens.
He claimed both police and Melbourne City Council officers had spoken to protesters about the issue.
Mr Nottle described the protesters as mainly "good people", but there seemed to be "a (bad) element that's infiltrating the group".
He said the "loose coalition" of activists did not have the resources to support the children, who were either homeless of wards of the state.
Police Superintendent Rod Wilson told 3AW that Mr Nottle had passed on the allegations to authorities.
He said child welfare concerns had been one factor in the decision to evict protesters from City Square last month.
"We were aware that a number of young people who were on active safe custody warrants issued by the Department of Human Services were in the tents," he said.
"Our concern is that young people are interacting with people they shouldn’t be. By having these tent cities set up, it’s not desirable for young people to go there.
"We’ve actually gone into those tents and retrieved young people from them, with DHS workers, and taken them back into custody."
Although Supt Wilson was not aware of any "sexual impropriety", he said it was not appropriate for vulnerable children to be camping with protesters.
It comes as Occupy Melbourne protesters plan to head to Melbourne Town Hall at 12pm today to demand the eviction of Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.
At a meeting last night in City Square, protesters distributed a flyer showing a picture of Cr Doyle accompanied by slogans including "The Tyrant Must Go To Hell" and "Resign Now".
The protesters will also demonstrate outside BHP's annual general meeting this morning, and later march to the US Consulate General's office in a nod to their Occupy Wall Street counterparts.
Yesterday, three protesters were charged with obstructing council officers after being confronted by about 100 police officers in Treasury Gardens.
Several items including Occupy Melbourne’s 'Tent Embassy' were confiscated after protesters refused to dismantle them.
But the protesters have again flouted council rules by erecting new tents and a marquee.
Supt Wilson also said that protesters would be warned not to build more structures in Treasury Gardens.
"We'll be going there every day, issuing them notices and removing the equipment and the structures that are in breach of the by-laws," he said.
- with Tom Minear
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