Protester hangs up on Tony Jones after failing to justify claims
Four women have been arrested after refusing to move on from a blockade of the Australian Border force offices in Melbourne.
They were among 40 demonstrators who began blockading the La Trobe Street office shortly after 8am this morning.
A similar protest by the same group was carried out at Melbourne University, as well as the BHP office on Collins Street.
The students claim they’re protesting to highlight a series of interlinked oppressions and the destructive system they claim is upheld by governments, universities and corporations.
But when attempting to justify her argument, protest organiser Lily Matchett backed away from quotes attributed to her and eventually hung up on Tony Jones.
TJ: Australia’s border force spending has a direct impact on climate change? (Pause) Is that right?
LILY: We see the militarisation of our borders as well as equipping…yeah…I guess using military to create war ends up in displaced people.
TJ: That’s drawing a very long bow isn’t it?
LILY: What, that militarisation leads to displaced people? I don’t think so.
TJ: No, that it leads to climate change.
LILY: No we see that climate change is being responded to using military forces. So instead of actually addressing the causes of climate change we’re just equipping our borders more and more with military personnel to keep people out.
TJ: But Lily, you say that military spending has a direct impact on climate change and I’m just asking how?
LILY: That’s not what I feel like we’re protesting down here.
TJ: Well, Lily I’m reading off a media release that says spokesperson Lily Matchett stated, quote, ‘military spending has a direct impact on climate change’.
(Pause)
TJ: That’s attributed to you.
(Hangs up)
TJ: I’m not surprised.
Click PLAY below to hear the interview
“Free free the refugees” – students blockading the Melbourne headquarters of Australian Border Force. @3AW693 pic.twitter.com/bP89Yv8Nke
— Pat Mitchell (@patty_mitchell) July 10, 2018
Photo: Paul Dowsley, 7 News