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Occupy Melbourne protesters take over Treasury Gardens "indefinitely"

03 November 2011 02:43 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. About 60 Occupy Melbourne protesters on Thursday took over the Treasury Gardens in the city of Melbourne, Australia, saying that the garden would be home to the movement "indefinitely", APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The small gathering was peaceful with people laying in the sun behind slogans including "You are the 99 percent."

Protester Nick Carson said they were not "camping" but rather " occupying open space to have discussions," and the Treasury Garden would be home to the movement "indefinitely."

He said protesters were now widening the protest demanding change to health care, refugees, transport, education and aged care.

"This movement is the most significant social movement of your generation and it’s not going anywhere until fundamental changes are made," Carson told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. "It’s a complex social movement."

The Occupy Melbourne protesters were also handing out flyers, promoting a "peaceful sight-seeing march" through the city on Saturday.

Last month, police forcibly removed protesters from their City Square camp, with almost 100 Occupy Melbourne protesters have been arrested. More than 20 protesters had minor injuries and one was taken to hospital.

Occupy Melbourne protesters on Thursday said they did not anticipate the violent chaos with police that had happened last month.

Sparked by the Occupy Wall Street protest in the United States, similar protests against widening income disparity has spread across the Asia-Pacific region and London of Britain