Astonishing moment police take aim at journalists during anti-war protest - as lawyers launch legal action after part of a photographer's EAR was 'blown off' and Mail reporter was shot
Trigger-happy police officers have been accused of shooting off part of a news photographer's ear and targeting media during wild 'peace' protests in Melbourne. Daily Mail Australia's Melbourne correspondent Wayne Flower was among media representatives shot by police during the protests.Footage captured by Flower in the seconds before he was shot with a gas-filled rubber bullet showed several police officers raised their weapons and pointed them in his direction. The allegations are now among several set to trigger compensation claims as law firms prepare to launch legal action against Victoria Police.Media representatives, many carrying multiple cameras, had been positioned front-and-centre at the protest as police appeared to fire non-lethal rounds at or around them. A photographer who provides images for pro-Palestinian groups claims he lost part of his ear and perforated an eardrum after being shot by police with a rubber bullet during the protest.The 33-year-old photographer, who provides images for Free Palestine Melbourne and Free Palestine Coalition Naarm, was wounded at about 10am on Wednesday - at almost the exact same moment Flower was shot. Jeremy King, principal lawyer and head of police misconduct at Robinson Gill, told the ABC he had been contacted by several people with injuries requiring 'significant medical attention'. Guns up: Channel 7 die hard Paul Dowsley was lucky not to have been shot himself, with several police officers seen in the background taking aim behind him'We've had some inquiries regarding the use of rubber bullets and excessive force by police in which people have suffered what look to be some pretty nasty injuries,' he said.'We've done a lot of claims against Victoria Police in the past in regards to a heavy-handed approach to protesters and to media, so we're very familiar with these types of issues.'It is understood media representatives injured on Clarendon Street will be among those joining the legal action. Footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia revealed journalists - wearing identification lanyards, holding heavy video cameras and carrying cameras - were threatened by officers wielding batons during police charges. One video captured by Flower, who by then was standing among a media pack, was forced to his knees as an officer wearing a New South Wales police uniform charged at him with a baton raised over his head. A Victoria Police spokesperson said officers 'utilised proportionate and lawful force' in response to the crowd and violent individuals.'Individuals were not targeted, with media in attendance asked on numerous occasions to make sure they moved away and did not put themselves in the way of the dynamic situation,' the spokesperson said. 'Force was only used in response to violence exhibited by individuals in the crowd to deter further offending.' Daily Mail Australia Melbourne correspondent Wayne Flower had been filming police on his phone when he was shot The capsicum powder carrying bullet left a nasty bruise after it exploded on Flower Flower, who has covered Melbourne crime for various mainstream news organisations during his 25 years on the job, said police appeared to have 'lost their cool'. 'I was shot within minutes of arriving there,' he said. 'They just seemed to be popping off rounds at anyone they didn't like the looks of.'I told them repeatedly I was a reporter after being shot, but they still came at us like we were protesting. It's like nothing I've witnessed before, even during the Covid 19 protests.'The news photographer shot by police told The Age he was standing about 25m from a line of police who had blocked Spencer Street. His last photo before the incident reveals more than 20 protesters, journalists and other photographers were standing between him and police when the rubber bullet was fired.'It felt like I’d been hit by a car, I didn’t see it coming,' he told The Age.'There was a sharp pain and a buzzing in my head. I put my hand to my ear and I could just feel a throbbing pain and realised there was blood, and I’d lost part of my ear.' Police fire at near point blank range at a protester who was also doused in OC foam A New South Wales policeman approaches Flower with a baton during a charge. Flower had been positioned with news cameramen and was wearing media accreditation The female officer had eyes on media while her colleagues worried about the protesters Photographer Luis Ascui, who was sprayed directly in the eyes by police while photographing a rally in September 2021, told Daily Mail Australia police desperately needed to work with media organisations to ensure the safety of media representatives doing their job. Ascui, who has worked in war zones across the globe, said it was only in Australia where he felt threatened by police. 'Enough is enough. I mean what is going to happen next time? It's only here in Australia where working journalists are targeted by police,' he said. 'Media bosses need to address the issue because we need to be able to cover these jobs without being targeted.'Ascui, who was unharmed in last week's protests, had been carrying three cameras and wearing a media accreditation when he was pepper sprayed in 2021. Represented by King, he settled a legal claim with Victoria Police out of court.
