Protestors have disrupted work on the east-west tunnel for the third consecutive day.
More than 40 opponents of the tunnel have linked arms around a drill site in Westgarth Street, Fitzroy, to prevent any further work, chanting “no tunnel, no way, we’ll fight it all the way.”
The protest turned violent just before 7.30am when protesters started pulling down temporary fencing around a drill site at the corner of Nicholson Street and Westgarth Street.
Four protesters made it through the fence and climbed onto the drill, refusing to move, before police moved in to secure the site.
Several protesters were dragged from the fence, and one was thrown to the ground and briefly handcuffed.
Police have formed two lines in front of the drill site, facing two lines of more than 70 protesters chanting anti-east-west link slogans.
North Fitzroy resident Rosie Elliott, 60, claimed she had been punched by police as she attempted to pull down a wire fence.
‘‘We were trying to pull the fence down. A lot of police jumped on me, one looked me in the eyes and punched me in the face,’’ she said. ‘‘I’m not a chronic protester. Last time I was in a protest was for apartheid. I’m very proud of us ladies to show police they can’t bully us.’’
