 A STUDENT accused of a violent attack on a police van during the G20 summit was on bail for drug offences at the time, a court has heard. Former taxi driver Akin Sari, 28, told police he is a Turkish-born Australian citizen but investigators are yet to confirm his claim.
Mr Sari, of no fixed address, was initially charged with criminal damage and theft of a police log book, but now also faces more serious offences of affray and riot. He allegedly told police he had been arrested many times overseas but could not be deported from Australia, describing our laws as "pathetic" and branding police "uniformed peasant pigs".
Police opposed his bail application at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, saying he was a risk of fleeing because he had no family or ties in Australia, they could not confirm his nationality and he has plans to travel to Asia for 12 weeks from Wednesday. The court heard Mr Sari, who is already on bail for using and possessing cannabis and giving a false name, is suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but is not taking medication.
| I think the proper solution just presented itself. |
VICTORIA Police chief Christine Nixon said the level of violence during the G20 demonstrations in Melbourne exceeded all expectations. Ms Nixon said nine officers were injured and seven people arrested during the mass rally with more arrests expected over the coming days. "It was one of the most violent protests we have seen in Victoria in the last six years," Chief Commissioner Nixon told ABC Radio. "The level of violence that we saw was not anticipated, we understood it was to be a peaceful protest.
"We knew there was a fringe element but some of the violence ... and some of the emotion behind that, was above what we imagined."
Ms Nixon said police had been watching a number of known agitators who had flown into Melbourne for the demonstration but were unable to take action against them until they were seen to have broken the law.
| Foreign nationals, known agitators, fly into the country for the express purpose of disrupting a conference, and you didn't stop them at the airport gates? |
She said the first priority of the police patrol was to protect the G20 conference and make sure people could not get through the barriers. "The key issue was not letting the demonstrators through into the G20 and that's clearly what happened, they were really only at the outer barriers so we did the job we were asked to do," she said.
| A secondary issue, but thoroughly useful, would be to thump the agitators clean and hard. |
Ms Nixon said police were hindered by the location of the summit and make-up of protesters which included a large number of families.
| "Let's go, granny, it's off to the hoose-gow wityas!" |
Protest organiser Marcus Greville said the media focus on violent incidences during the rally was disappointing. On ABC Radio today, Mr Greville refused to condemn the violence.
| Except for the riot part. |
"The rally we organised was non-violent. I'm disappointed these people decided to embark on these things, but I don't think it should be detracting from the key reasons we were out there," he said. "(But) I'm not prepared to outright condemn the violence," he said.
Earlier reports said 10 police officers were injured during the protest on Saturday. |