August 7th – Massive police operation to clear site of protestors

By 4AM August 7th a major police operation was underway in Tecoma began with approxiamately 60-80 members of the Public Order Response Unit, fully armed with revolvers and capsicum spray moving into to clear the site. First they blocked Burwood Highway and surround road, whilst rows of police escorted trucks and workers and equipment onto site.This highly militarised police response was a massive over reaction to our peaceful community protest and an act of intimidation against our continued peaceful resistance to McDonalds. It can now be literally said that McDonalds is moving into Tecoma at “gunpoint”.

Then the Search and Rescue team began to try and remove “Roof Girl” from her week roof vigil. Two Search and Rescue officers entered the roof via a cherry picker. She was eventually found, arrested and removed from the site by 6.30 AM that morning and charged with trespass.The community is very grateful to the brave stance taken by our last Roof Girl and all the other roof occupiers who at great personal risk stood up for their community and tried to defend the Old Hazelvale Dairy against McDonalds corporate vandalism.

Throughout the day and working illegally into the night, BR Demolitions removed asbestos from the building. BR Demolitions who openly broke the Trades Hall stance on the site against work continuing shall forever be marked for the level of disrespect they have showed the people of the Dandenong Ranges. Below are some images from this sad and dramatic day.