Chaos at Melbourne Cup as Manus Island protesters arrested
Protesters have blocked a passenger train line and scaled a crane near Flemington Racecourse, calling for Manus Island refugees to be brought to Australia.
A car has been driven across tracks at Ascot Vale with a protester locked inside and Metro Trains has told passengers to expect delays of more than an hour.
Seven News aerial footage shows two people being detained at the train tracks in Ascot Vale, near the racecourse that hosts the Melbourne Cup, where the car was parked.
Police confirmed a woman was arrested at the scene in relation to a car being driven on to the train tracks at Ascot Vale.
"The vehicle will be removed from the line and trains will resume shortly," Victoria Police told 7 News in a statement.
Metro Trains earlier advised Major Delays on the Flemington line due to a motor vehicle stopped across rail lines. "Police are on-site, please listen for announcements. We are working to get trains moving," the rail network tweeted.
Police have just arrested one man on the train tracks where car is parked blocking trains to Flemington @7NewsMelbourne
— Estelle Griepink (@EstelleGriepink) November 7, 2017
"We are really appalled at the situation on Manus Island and we think it's really inappropriate for people to be celebrating when there are individuals with no water and no security," Flemington protester Sonia Arquette said on Tuesday.
The group is not aligned with any organisation.
"We don't want to be doing this but we feel we have no choice when there are 600 people starving," Ms Arquette said.
“We are calling on the Australian Government to bring the refugees to safety.”
Passive protests have proven ineffective and protesters wanted to make sure people paid attention, she added.
"This should be a priority and it's not right to be celebrating when this is happening," Ms Arquette said.
Earlier today, Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court rejected an application to restore water, electricity and food supply to the Australian-run Manus Island detention centre in which nearly 600 men have been barricaded for a week, refusing to move.
The men in the facility have defied attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea to close the camp, refusing to move to three transit centres despite having little food or drinking water, and several men needing medical help.
The men have repeatedly said they will not move to the transit camps because they feared local residents may attack them.
The court's ruling could further prolong the stand-off described last week by the United Nations as a "looming humanitarian crisis".
Manus Island protestors drive car onto train tracks at Flemington, blocking transport to #MelbourneCup @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/7F1h8rxUrB
— Jodi Lee (@jodilee_7) November 7, 2017
Racegoers stuck on suspended trains because of Manus Island protest are getting out and walking to Flemington @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/DxNfQwMMFY
— Lynne Scrivens (@lynnescrivens) November 7, 2017
In a separate event on Melbourne Cup day, two woman climbed a crane near the Flemington race track to unfurl a banner which read "SOS: Evacuate Manus Now".
"We are joining with others across Australia to demand that the government evacuate the men on Manus immediately and bring them to safety for processing," Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance spokeswoman Charlotte Lynch said.
The groups are not believed to be affiliated.
