![at-gate View of protest at gate of centre](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/at-gate.jpg?w=584)
Melbourne’s Refugee Action Collective (RAC-Vic) organised a rally and march to the so-called Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation centre in Broadmeadows, a prison-like facility which currently houses more than 140 young asylum seekers aged 13-18, ‘[most] of them teenage boys whose fathers, brothers or other family members have been killed and their families have sent them out of the country to save their lives’ (RAC-Vic release; see also http://www.rac-vic.org/media-releases/media_11_03_29.htm). After gathering in a carpark on Sydney Road, where Greens MLC Colleen Hartland gave a brief address, the rally marched down Camp Road to the centre to protest at the main gate, where there were further speakers, including Hyder Gulam, President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Nicole Mousely of RAC-Vic, Gilios Kogoya, a West Papuan activist and refugee, Kumar Pathmanathan of the Tamil Refugee Council, Wayne Klempel, AMWU Northern District Secretary, Alex Bhathal of the Greens, North-East Region, and Jacob Lay, a high-school student who read a statement from the point of view of someone the same age as the young people locked up inside…
![carpark Rally gathering in carpark](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/carpark.jpg?w=584)
In the carpark
![no-one-is-illegal 'No-one is illegal' and other placards - in the carpark](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/no-one-is-illegal.jpg?w=584)
In the carpark ...
![colleen-h Colleen Hartland speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/colleen-h.jpg?w=584)
Colleen Hartland
![setting-off The march setting off from the carpark - banner reads 'Children out of Detention'](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/setting-off.jpg?w=584)
The march sets off ...
![suicides Placard 'Five Suicides - Chris Bowen How do you sleep at night?](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/suicides.jpg?w=584)
During a brief stop at the corner of the Hume Highway and Camp Road
![on-hume Another view of banners during stop at corner](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/on-hume.jpg?w=584)
Also during the stop at the corner
Various shots during the march:
![head-of-march The head of the march](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/head-of-march.jpg?w=584)
![rear-of-march Banner at rear of march - 'free the refugees'](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/rear-of-march.jpg?w=584)
Bringing up the rear
![om-march1 Socialist placard on the march](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/om-march1.jpg?w=300&h=199)
![om-march2 Dog, balloons, Eureka flag etc on march](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/om-march2.jpg?w=300&h=199)
![on-march3 View of march stretching back into distance along Camp Road](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/on-march3.jpg?w=584)
![march1 Boy with placard - 'No-one is illegal'](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/march1.jpg?w=300&h=199)
![march2 More children with placards on march](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/march2.jpg?w=300&h=199)
.
![not-illegal Banner on march and Greens triangle - 'Seeking asylum is not illegal'](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/not-illegal.jpg?w=300&h=199)
![LaTrobe LaTrobe University RAC banner - 'I ain't afraid of no boats'](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/latrobe.jpg?w=300&h=199)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
At the centre:
![hyder-g Hyder Gulam speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/hyder-g.jpg?w=584)
Hyder Gulam
![nicole-m Nicole Mousely speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/nicole-m.jpg?w=584)
Nicole Mousely
![at-gate-hyder Rally from rear - Hyder Gulam speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/at-gate-hyder.jpg?w=584)
![gilios-k Gilios Kogoya speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/gilios-k.jpg?w=584)
Gilios Kogoya
![kumar-p Kumar Pathmanathan speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/kumar-p.jpg?w=584)
Kumar Pathmanathan
![at-gate-gilios Rally listening to Gilios Kogoya](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/at-gate-gilios.jpg?w=584)
![wayne-k Wayne Klempel speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/wayne-k.jpg?w=584)
Wayne Klempel
![alex-b Alex Bhathal speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/alex-b.jpg?w=584)
Alex Bhathal
![jacob-l Jacob Lay speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/jacob-l.jpg?w=584)
Jacob Lay
![sue-b Sue Bolton of RAC-Vic speaking](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/sue-b.jpg?w=584)
Sue Bolton of RAC-Vic
While the speeches were going on, people had the opportunity to add messages to a banner, which would then be strung on the wire:
![adding-message Adding a message to the cloth banner](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/adding-message.jpg?w=584)
Another banner pinned to the wire:
![banner-on-wire 'Free all Political Prisoners' - Anarchist Black Cross banner on wire](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/banner-on-wire.jpg?w=584)
Anarchist Black Cross
In conclusion, balloons were released to fly over the centre:
![balloons Balloons flying over the centre](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/balloons.jpg?w=584)
But there were interruptions to the planned course of the event: a group of detainees could be seen in the distance at one point waving and shouting, their path to the gate blocked by guards and uniformed police:
![detainees-protest Detainees can be seen protesting](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/detainees-protest.jpg?w=584)
One person from the rally managed to scale a side fence and was promptly arrested (she was eventually driven off in police van when most of the rally had dispersed, to loud cheers from those remaining):
![breakin1 Protester being arrested](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/breakin1.jpg?w=300&h=199)
![breakin2 Protester being marched away](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/breakin2.jpg?w=300&h=199)
.
![hand-in-van Hand visible in rear window of police van as protester is driven away](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/hand-in-van.jpg?w=584)
A police officer saw fit to spray two protesters, one wheelchair bound, in the face for being too close to the gate (he was soon after removed from the area by his superiors):
![spray Police officer holding capsicum spray can after using it...](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/spray.jpg?w=584&h=877)
![spray-victims Spray victim,s on ground, bathing eyes](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/spray-victims.jpg?w=584)
Most dramatic, three boys managed to escape as far as the forecourt, where they were quickly surrounded by a protective circle of sympathisers. Unfortunately, one cut himself on the barbed wire in the process and relapsed into shock. An ambulance had to be called, and after some while he seemed quite recovered. After much discussion an agreement was reached by which the three agreed to return voluntarily to the centre, on the basis that there would then be no adverse repercussions …. In the meantime, the ambulance had been summoned to the centre itself, where the word was that there had been another instance of self-harm. This could not be confirmed.
![jumping-small Boy leaping over fence](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/jumping-small.jpg?w=584)
The above photo was originally posted with the boy’s face blurred, in response to a message requesting that no photos identifying the escapees should be published. This request was widely ignored at the time, and was apparently rescinded later in the afternoon, on which basis this and the next three photos are now added*:
![add-1-small Boy being attended to after jumping fence](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/add-1-small.jpg?w=584)
![add-4-small Another shot of boy](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/add-4-small.jpg?w=584)
![add-3-small Support for escapee](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/add-3-small.jpg?w=584)
*There is some discussion of this in the comments to the Indymedia report linked to below.
![ambulance-crew The ambulance crew tend to the boys](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/ambulance-crew.jpg?w=584)
![ambulance-enters Ambulance enters centre followed by car of worker at centre](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/ambulance-enters.jpg?w=584)
The ambulance crew were then called to attend to 'a potentially life-threatening emergency' in the centre.
(The car following the ambulance was driven by a worker at the centre who had arrived earlier for his shift but had been unable to get in…)
![returning Boys walk back to centre escorted by guards](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/returning.jpg?w=584)
![placard-at-gate Placard left at gate - image of child with crust of bread](http://web.archive.org./web/20151018115425im_/https://melbourneprotests.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/placard-at-gate.jpg?w=584)
At time of writing there does not seem to have been any mainstream media reporting of the event; at least one camera crew were present at the start, but stayed only a very short time. Perhaps this attitude of the media goes some way towards explaining why so few people in Melbourne even know of the existence of the centre?
(Added 6.40pm – the ABC 7pm news yesterday evening apparently did carry a report of the event, though as stated above, the reporters had left before the breakout etc. There has been more coverage of the day’s events on Melbourne Indymedia here and here, including links to video on YouTube, showing amongst other things, the use of capsicum spray.)
(Added 6.52pm – this has just appeared on the ABC website – http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/03/3181017.htm?section=justin)