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‘Drill though my hand’ offer stalls demolition

Author:

Michael Gormly

Posted:

Thursday, 25 November 2010

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Residents continue to occupy the Caretaker’s cottage at Rushcutters Bay tennis courts, after clashing with demolition workers sent by the City of Sydney. Here is my diary of the first confrontations.

6.30am, Thursday 18 Nov: Homeless squatter sleeping in vacated groundsman’s cottage at Rushcutters Bay Tennis Courts woken by City of Sydney contractors smashing 1930s era textured glass window in back door and breaking in. A “fat worker” tells him “in no uncertain terms” to vacate the premises. He complies, taking his trolley-swag with him. Workers take down protest banner hanging outside top floor windows.

7.00am: Local residents arrive, find front door open and occupy building. Re-hang protest banner from top floor windows. Get on mobiles and mobilise local networks who alert media.

8.00am: I get phone call to “get down here” because protesters facing invasion by workers who want to change the locks.

8.15am (approx) Council CEO Monica Barone and others arrive, all smiles. Scope situation and leave.

8.30am: I arrive to find about ten residents inside cottage, initiate wide-angle photography of cottage, inside and out, for the record.

11.11am: CMS Demolition company van parks across driveway and blonde boss-type enters cottage asking protesters to leave. They refuse. Demolition crew regroup near their vehicles and plot next move.

11.29am: Workers try repeatedly to enter cottage, blocked by protesters.

11.34am: While workers distract protesters at front of cottage, others sneak around to back door and start boarding up smashed window. Blonde boss assures us that they are not changing the locks and were “not locksmiths”.

11.35am: Blonde boss obstructs rear passage while work goes on. I get in close to take pictures, at this point becoming embedded with protesters. While they can’t touch us because it would be Assault, we likewise can’t touch them. I stand close and take photos, watched by barrister Dixie Coulton. Blonde boss backs up against me and accuses me of pushing her. I rebut this, confirmed by witnesses.

11.36am: Blonde boss makes a mistake, moving towards door as workers swap around and one attempts to unscrew deadlock from inside the door. I put my hand over the lock and tell them they will have to “drill through my hand” to change lock. Situation deadlocked. Worker says, “We won’t be doing that,” and they withdraw. I slam door shut and shoot the latch.

12.00pm: Workers regroup for another strategy meeting. Big boss arrives, later introduced as Bob.

12.08pm: Workers try entry at front door, blocked by protesters and me, with barrister looking over shoulders. Workers push against us, saying we are pushing against them although we have been in the same place all along. I repeat that if they touch us it is an assault and one worker replies, “That won’t be a problem”, which I read as a threat. All caught on protester’s phone video. I photograph worker while another photographs us.

12.16pm: Bob the boss and two workers sneak into the back yard. I follow. They gesture at the building and talk like developers. Worker says I don’t have permission to photograph him even as his colleague again photographs me.

12.46pm: Workers make another attempt at entry, this time with man in blue shirt who had previously arrived with Monica Barone. He demands people’s names without success, and leaves as front door remains blocked by protesters.

Later, Bob the boss tells us that the cottage will be left alone until after Christmas. Workers fence off old café area to prepare demolition and removal of trees. Occupation continues into the night with street party and BBQ.

3am Friday 19 Nov: Police, Channel 7 arrive, interview Andrew Woodhouse. Police leave after friendly chat.

5.40am: Channel 7 returns, interviews Dixie Coulton. Occupation ongoing.

10.39am: Residents seek formal assurance from Clover Moore, Monica Barone that Bob’s statement about leaving the cottage alone is correct. No reply at time of writing.

by Michael Gormly

Council’s Demolition workers try to get control of the door

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