Protesters were emotional at a National Day of Action for refugees outside a detention centre in Kangaroo Point yesterday.
They gathered in solidarity with 120 refugees and asylum seekers detained inside Kangaroo Point Central Hotel, who have been protesting their conditions from the hotel balcony for months.
Activists and detainees addressed the crowd through a PA system set up on Main Street.
Tension arose with police when protesters on the street demanded a detainee be allowed to hug his three-year-old son, whom he had never touched. Organisers called on protesters to de-escalate as they negotiated with police. Ultimately the hug was not allowed.
Police forcibly cleared the street at 5pm, threatening to detain anyone who blocked the road.
Some activists remain at the site, blockading the detention centre to prevent detainees from being removed to BITA, a higher-security facility.
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