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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Peter Brewer Alex Crowe

Police focus on illegal camps as protesters attempt to regroup

Police arrive at Cotter Campground in numbers on Monday evening to clear Convoy to Canberra protesters who were camping without a booking. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Four people were arrested at the Cotter Campground on Monday night following a large police operation to remove illegal campers.

Members of the anti-vaccination mandate group were charged with failing to comply with a legal direction to move on, after crowds of protesters moved from Exhibition Park to the Cotter.

Protesters' vehicles lined the roads around Stromlo in the early evening as the dispersed campers attempted to regroup.

While a select few were able to secure a spot at the Cotter and remained there on Tuesday, hundreds evicted from EPIC for trespassing have now set up at various spots around the ACT.

Police patrolled several parks west of the city on Tuesday, with protesters booking out campgrounds there and others further south including Woods Reserve.

At this stage, they are spread out and not causing any issues.

Superintendent John Klepczarek

Despite a heavy police presence, there were no further clashes with protesters and no arrests were made.

While protesters have used social media to announce their intention to use the next few days to plan another rally, police have so far detected no detailed plan for Convoy to Canberra's return to the capital.

A police spokesman said the latest intel suggested vague plans to march again next month, ahead of the federal budget.

The spokesman said police were continuing to monitor social media channels and would inform the public ahead of planned protest activity.

A small group of people were permitted to stay while the majority of campers at the Cotter were moved on by police. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

NSW police have also reported groups of protesters camping at various locations outside the ACT.

Superintendent John Klepczarek, in charge of the Monaro police district which encompasses the eastern region beyond Braidwood and south to places such as Cooma, Jindabyne and Bombala, said he was aware that protesters previously based in the ACT had fanned out across a number of public and private campgrounds in NSW.

The intelligence from NSW police was that protester numbers in and around the region were diminishing, but they may yet resurge in March.

Supt Klepczarek said he was aware that "small pockets" of the protest group had relocated to Bungendore showgrounds, and others had found locations on privately owned property at Adaminaby and Bombala.

"We are monitoring it and getting information from the public and obviously we have good contacts within the councils; at this stage, they are spread out and not causing any issues," he said.

Supt Klepczarek said that grey nomads, tourists and travellers "freecamp" regularly in various areas when passing through the region and were free to do so "as long as it's not causing any hazards or it's not illegal spot".

"Everything is assessed on its merits depending on where they are [camped]," he said.

"Small pockets of people camping around the place is fine; as long as it's approved and they are behaving appropriately.

"We will be guided from what we are hearing."

Protester Ben Denman was one of the few permitted to stay on at Cotter Campground this week. Having travelled from Sussex Inlet three weeks ago, he said he wouldn't go home until the government put an end to vaccine mandates.

"Whether it's tomorrow or whether it's next month, we're going to be reconvening, we're going to be here every day until Scott Morrison listens to what we want," Mr Denman said.

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