Some protesters might like to chain themselves to a site in protest, but Rosie Elliott prefers her brown handbag.
Ms Elliott, 60, of North Fitzroy has been lassoed to drill testing equipment at the corner of Westgarth and Brunswick streets in Fitzroy since about 6.30am on Tuesday.
“I do yoga and I can stand up here all day,” Ms Elliott said.
“The fact is that nature will call sooner or later and the police better watch out. There is a nice hole down here,” she said, referring to the drill site.
The small business operator said she had paid taxes all her life and she, like most Melburnians, did not want the east-west tunnel built. She referred to a recent Age poll which showed 74 per cent preferred more public transport.
Ms Elliott said the tunnel would cause more traffic locally, especially on Hoddle Street.
She said she disagreed to with the environmental impact of the tunnel and road, especially in Royal Park.
About 100 protesters arrived at the drilling site before 6am on Tuesday. They formed a blockade but a similar number of police moved in at 6.30am.
There were violent scuffles with police as they were moved so that police could form a inner ring around the test site.
“It was a full on police operation where they pushed people away,” protester Anthony Main said.”We are not interested in a military type battle with police.”
He said protesters wanted to make it clear to the state government that they did not approve of the tunnel project.
Workers at the site have not been able to get inside the drill testing site.
Police have arrested one man, who they say was edging and pushing back onto the police line.
An officer asked him to move back repeatedly when he did not, four officers arrested the man.
The protester, Brendan, 30, of Heidelberg, said police had told him he would be charged on summons with assaulting police.
He believed video evidence would see any charge thrown out of court and said he had grounds to charge police with assault.
‘‘It’s a joke,’’ Brendan said. ‘‘The police violence is getting way out of hand.’’
Brendan showed a scrape on his wrist from a clash on Monday with police.
