Angry 'tent embassy' protesters confront police

UPDATE: Protesters at an Aboriginal "tent embassy" have angrily confronted police officers who marched in to enforce an order to remove their cars from a public reserve.

About 50 officers arrived at Heirisson Island about 6am to enforce a City of Perth move-on notice to remove tents and cars.

The protesters agreed to pack up their tents and did so. But angry scenes erupted when flat-bed trucks arrived to load up protesters' cars and about 30 police marched in to enforce the removal of the vehicles.

Protesters and police confronted and jostled each other at the cars as abuse was hurled at officers.

Some protesters shouted out "WA police murderers" and "airheads".

Protesters eventually drove their cars off the reserve.

No arrests were made.

As the police contingent marched off the reserve after enforcing the council notices, they were accompanied by flag-waving protesters shouting, "shame, shame".

"You are officially evicted from Noongar land," protester Greg Martin told officers.

The council has said protesters are allowed to stay on the reserve but must not camp overnight in tents or park cars there.

Some protesters said they would re-erect their tents at the reserve, which they claim is sacred Aboriginal land.

The "tent embassy" was set up a week ago in protest at the State Government's proposed $1 billion native title settlement deal with the Noongar people of the State's south west.

About 50 people remained at the camp under gum trees on the shores of the Swan River to discuss their next move.

The last surviving co-founder of Canberra's Aboriginal tent embassy lent his support to the Perth activists today.

"We expect that the Australian governments will now depend very heavily upon their police to terrorise our sovereignty movement, rather than speak to us as one would expect diplomacy would dictate," he said.

"To accept this offer is to sell your sovereign right down the drain."

Police Inspector Bill Munnee said police respected the right of the activists to protest at Heirisson Island but only if it was done "lawfully".

Earlier this morning he said police were pleased that the protestors had dismantled their tents and eventually moved their vehicles off the parkland into the nearby car park.

He defended the police decision to send about 50 officers to help enforce the council by-laws, saying that they were unsure how many protestors would be at the site when they arrived. There were about 50 protestors at the island this morning.

"We needed to make sure that we had enough resources to deal with any situation which might arise and to make sure that the peace was kept," Insp. Munnee said.

Police said at a press conference that they had had a "moral" victory, but warned they would be back in force if the protesters continued to camp on the island.

"We're happy. We had a moral win," Insp. Bill Munnee told assembled media after the operation.

"The tents are gone, the cars are gone - hopefully they'’ll get the message.

"If they put the tents up and go inside again, we'll go in again.

"It may escalate, it may not, but we are prepared to go back again.

"What we didn't want was to have a tent embassy there for the next 40 years like in Canberra - that was never going to happen."

Insp. Munnee said about 10 cars and tents were removed from the site, but no arrests or charges were laid.

He denied the protesters were getting any special treatment.

"We're not there to intimidate," he said.

"We did not want a confrontation. There were women, there were children and elderly people there, we just wanted the City of Perth to go about their business.

"Out intent was always to let the City of Perth do their job and look for a peaceful resolution.

"We achieved that and we're very grateful."

About 60 protesters remain on the island and have pledged to stay. The protesters said they would issue a statement later this afternoon.

City of Perth chief executive Frank Edwards said he was satisfield with the outcome of today's operation but disappointed that the protesters had not co-operated with earlier verbal and written requests to dismantle the camp.

"Considerable council and police resources have gone into dealing with this matter," Mr Edwards said.

"The City dealt with the protesters in a patient and professional manner at all times and gave them every opportunity to comply with our verbal and written requests.

"The subject of their protest was a matter outside the authority of local government."