During the night I woke up several times to check that the riot
squad vehicles were still in the motel car park. They were still there when we drove
out to the protest site in Old Mill Road. We were one of the first vehicles to
arrive. Two police cars were parked across the road and we were told the road
was blocked for a police operation. We turned around and parked on the side of
the road. More and more people arrived and parked their cars. A large oval of
people formed on the road for a smoking ceremony. After this a meeting was
called and it was decided to walk 20 metres into the forest or along the fence
to the gates. We followed a bagpiper along a track near the fence where a very
nice policeman held back a bush so we could pass.
Banners covered the gate and fence into Santos’ Leewood
site. There were several security from Santos and about six police. They were
tolerant, polite and courteous, showing none of the aggression I had heard
about at other protests in the area. They knew that the protesters had planned
to walk onto the site and they were confident that they had thwarted the plan.
