Immigration office protesters arrested

Two men who chained themselves to counters at an immigration department office in
Sydney have been arrested.
Eight activists occupied the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) office
at Railway Square in Sydney at about 4pm (AEST) on Tuesday in support of a protest
by detainees at the city's Villawood detention centre.
Six of them were removed a short time later, but two men used bicycle chains to
attach themselves to counters, prompting police to call emergency services to cut
them free.
A police spokeswoman said the pair were released at about 5.20pm (AEST) and were
talking to officers.
She declined to comment on the likelihood charges would be laid.
It's not known whether the men were forcibly removed or unchained themselves
voluntarily.
A DIAC spokesman said it was expected the men would be charged with trespass. The
remaining protesters were released at the scene without charge.
Rachel Rowe, from the Anti-Deportation Alliance, said the group had been acting in
solidarity with 11 detainees who had been protesting on the roof of the Villawood
detention centre since Monday afternoon.
That protest follows the suicide of a Fijian asylum seeker, 36-year-old Josefa
Rauluni, at the centre on Monday morning.
"They have been without food and water and they are going to jump off the roof," Ms
Rowe said.
"We are not leaving until DIAC speaks to the detainees ... We're going to do
everything we can to make their demands met."