Melbourne Protesters Are Hitting Back At Lord Mayor Robert Doyle And Supporting The Homeless
"Sleeping rough is not a crime."
Protesters rallied outside of Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday to voice their concerns over tough new measures targeting the city’s homeless population.
The protests came after police attempted to remove more than a dozen homeless people living outside Flinders Street Station in the lead up to the Australian Open, and amidst an ongoing campaign by The Herald Sun calling on politicians to clean up the “homeless blight”.
Protesters were seen holding banners reading “Sleeping Rough Is Not A Crime” and “No To New Move On Laws”. One onlooker estimated there were between 200 and 300 people in attendance.
Earlier this month, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said that he welcomed “any move by police to bring an end to what has become a blight on our city, and the City of Melbourne continues to work with them to do that.”
According to The Age, Doyle’s office is currently working on new bylaws to give police additional powers to relocate rough sleepers, although any new legislation will apparently stop short of making sleeping on the streets illegal (as was initially reported by the The Herald Sun).
Big protest at Melbourne Town Hall against proposed ban of homeless people in the city #springst #ausopen #auspol #homeless pic.twitter.com/BMxGj1siVL
— nrcars (@nrcars) January 28, 2017
Happening right now outside #melbournetownhall , come down and #supportourhomeless pic.twitter.com/Ju87jv4V2v
— Neatz Notso (@neatz_notso) January 28, 2017
On Friday, state Housing Minister Martin Foley announced a $9.8 million package designed “to immediately rapidly rehouse 40 vulnerable rough sleepers in inner Melbourne and provide them with targeted supports to maintain their housing.”
The initiative will see 30 new homes built on public land by the end of 2017, and will also see the government coordinate with Brotherhood of St Laurence director Tony Nicholson on “a detailed census and data profile the city’s rough sleepers, so we can better tailor housing options to meet their specific needs and get them off the streets sooner.”
“We’re taking action to provide a pathway for rough sleepers out of the CBD,” said Mr. Foley. “This new package will mean there is now no reason for people to be rough sleeping at Flinders Street Station.”
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Feature image via @neatz_notso/Twitter