BRISBANE — Five people were arrested Friday at the proposed site of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics main stadium in Victoria Park during a protest against the land development. One of those arrested was later released without charge, according to a police spokesperson. The arrests occurred as Queensland Police Service officers supported partner agencies in what a police spokesperson described as “Queensland Police Service officers are supporting partner agencies as they undertake engagement, offers of support services and compliance action, if necessary, with a focus on maintaining community safety and ensuring the safety of all involved.” Police said the five individuals were taken into custody for obstructing and assaulting officers.
Yagara Indigenous elder Gaja Kerry Charlton, among those arrested, said police and Brisbane city council staff arrived in force at the protest encampment. “We were just getting ready to go for lunch and then we got the phone call that the police were all arriving,” Charlton said. She estimated that up to 50 officers descended on the site, where about 20 tents had been set up. “They all came up to my little camp, where we had about 20 tents, and they just started dismantling them and taking them away.”
The Queensland government has moved to clear the way for construction of the $3.6 billion main stadium. In 2025, it exempted Victoria Park from heritage, environmental, and planning laws and has since converted the land to freehold status. Ownership of the site is scheduled to be transferred Monday to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority. Fences are already being erected around the perimeter in preparation for construction, which the Queensland government has stated will proceed immediately. Charlton has formally challenged the development, and her application is currently under review.