Sydney [Australia], June 1: Bulldozers are expected to begin clearing a park for construction of a $3.6 billion 2032 Olympics stadium, as protesters mull their options in staying put.
Tensions boiled over on Friday as residents of an on-site tent embassy were forcibly moved on from Brisbane's Victoria Park.
Five people were arrested, including a man tackled to the ground by officers, in what critics described as a surprise raid by police and council staff.
Andrea Lunt, an organiser with the Save Victoria Park campaign, says it's unclear what Monday would bring with construction set to start, but the overall sentiment is one of disappointment.
"This space with its heritage and its history is such a special asset for Brisbane," she told AAP.
"We're not an anti-Olympics group but we don't support the Olympics in its current form which is going to take away precious green space from future generations - they don't need to be mutually exclusive."
She said the site had particular resonance for Traditional Owners with dozens of ancient trees still standing and their loss would be ecologically irreplaceable.
"We're ripping it up for a stadium that could be going elsewhere."
Hundreds gathered on Sunday, including children, carrying placards with messages saying "parks over profits" and "hands off Victoria Park".
Indigenous elders have declared the park a place of significance to many First Nations peoples and are calling for their concerns to be heard.
The state government has converted the park to freehold land, but the project faces several challenges under national Aboriginal heritage laws.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said he received 10 submissions seeking to "issue a declaration to protect a significant Aboriginal area that is under threat of injury or desecration".
But he confirmed two had already been declined, while the others remained under consideration.
"I encourage all parties to engage in this process and the proposed development in an open and transparent way," he said.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie vowed his government was pushing on with its timeline despite the vociferous opposition, including from former Liberal National premier Campbell Newman.
"The reality is it's a construction site and no one is going to be able to be on the construction site, so they're going to have to be moved on," he told reporters.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation
