“I was filming some protesters getting pepper-sprayed when the police threw a stun grenade between my lower legs.
“For a couple of seconds I thought I was in Gaza. I felt a sharp pain, a stab in my leg and a burning sensation. My ears went all weird and I couldn’t hear properly.
“I was at the corner of Little Bourke and Spring streets with all the other photographers.
“The police were three metres away. In a video you can see I was clearly holding my camera up. I wasn’t even wearing a mask. I was no threat. I had no weapons in my hand. It looks like the grenade was thrown at me deliberately.
“I could have been an innocent bystander. How are the police allowed to be throwing this kind of harmful weapon? It’s like throwing a bomb at us.”
That’s how Grace Dess, the mother of two teenage kids, experienced the Victoria Police rampage against anti-racist protesters in Melbourne on 19 October.
Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) described the police response to protesters against March for Australia as excessive, citing the deployment of riot police, dangerous weaponry and the Mounted Branch.
MALS also criticised the “unwarranted use of force”, including the use of capsicum spray, and the continued use of designated area powers to deter or repress protest.
War zone
Grace told Solidarity that the damage caused by the stun grenade made her miss work for two weeks and has left her with scars for life.
“These weapons should be banned. We’re not in a war zone.
“I was limping and can feel a vein pulling. I might need more medical treatment.
“I’m now paranoid about wearing skirts because of the scarring. It was pretty frightening at the time but I won’t stop going to rallies.
“I come from a multicultural family and grew up with all different neighbours. I just hate racism, especially against First Nations people. And let’s be clear, immigration is not the problem.”
Grace has engaged a lawyer and is considering taking legal action against Victoria Police.
But the best response to police violence is to build much bigger rallies that can outnumber and shout down the racist March for Australia and the Nazis who are part of its leadership.
That means reaching out beyond the hard left to unionists, Palestine supporters, supporters and members of Labor and the Greens, and Indigenous and migrant communities.
Mass anti-racist rallies of thousands can see off the racists and keep the police thugs at bay.
By David Glanz
