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The Stop HRL collective called a rally at Federation Square for 9.30am on Monday 11 April, but what they didn't announce was that a number of activists would be attempting to occupy a Government building at that time ...

So the event began as a rally setting up at Federation Square, but almost at once the word came to march up to Treasury Place, where five activists were now locked on to a steel ladder in the foyer of No 1, which houses both State and Federal offices. They had entered without hindrance and were now refusing to leave until their demands were met, including a halt to funding for a new coal-fired power station in the LaTrobe Valley, and the redirection of the money towards developing renewable energy sources.

Some of the activists were successful in getting an unscheduled meeting with Energy Minister Michael O'Brien - at one point it was reported that Victorian Government business had come to a halt because the whole cabinet was holed up inside the building unable to leave - though in the event he was not in any mind to give the required commitments, but in terms of media interest generated the action was an overwhelming success, and surely laid a basis for wider community involvement. There is a survey of media coverage on the StopHRL website (http://www.stophrl.org/media.php), and a gallery of photos from the day at http://www.flickr.com/photos/61659025@N02/

Once outside the building, the rally heard from a succession of speakers: Dr Merryn Redenbach for Stop HRL (http://www.stophrl.org/), Julien Vincent from Greenpeace (http://www.greenpeace.org.au), Naomi Hogan of Rising Tide Newcastle (http://www.risingtide.org.au), Vivien Langford of Beyond Zero Emissions (http://www.beyondzeroemissions.org/), and Drew Hutton of Lock the Gate (http://lockthegate.org.au/), as well as updates via mobile phone from the people inside. There was also music from the Riff Raff Radical Marching Band from Sydney (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Riff-Raff-Radical-Marching-Band/170488892995286), and long-term activist comedian Rod Quantock was a welcome guest speaker, followed by a members of the rally taking advantage of the open mic. There was a long wait, and the police line had to be relieved at lunchtime, which meant that Beyond Zero Emissions representatives had an opportunity to repeat their presentation of the technology of solar-thermal baseload generation for the benefit of those who had missed out the first time round. It was reported at one point that the minister had agreed to come down and meet the protesters in view of the rally, but this was later withdrawn, and eventually there was agreement that he would meet three in his office, and the others would leave, along with supporters who had kept them company inside. The whole process lasted the best part of four and a half hours, and the five certainly deserved every cheer they received when they emerged.

There is a report of this event on Melbourne Indymedia, sourced partly from Friends of the Earth; see also Melbourne Protests - http://melbourneprotests.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/stop-hrl-protest-treasury-place-melbourne-11-april-2011/