Police get a serve from tennis fans

	A friend tries to wash out the stinging capsicum spray from one of the Greek fans directly affected. Photo: Ben Weinstein

James Belias

Police have been accused by tennis fans of using heavy-handed tactics, which included spraying fans in the face with capsicum spray, on Day two of the Australian Open.

Neos Kosmos witnessed incidents that have since led Premier John Brumby to pledge an inquiry into Tuesday's events. Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu described the images of Tuesday's incident as sending appalling picture of Melbourne to the world, and "God help us if we have to wear gas masks to go to the tennis".

Up to 40 people, including women and children were affected by the spray, which police officers had used on Greek tennis fans that had been chanting for their player. Both players on Margaret Court Arena were disappointed and said they had heard nothing offensive in any of the songs or chants.

The match between Greek Kostandinos Economides and Chilean Ferando Gonzalez was stopped for up to ten minutes. The disruption was caused by up to eight police officers who attempted to charge into a group of predominately Greek tennis fans, who the police alleged had sworn in Greek.

Mainstream media reports have also portrayed the police's actions as over the top. One police officer, a senior constable, came into the group and attempted to remove two spectators, without warning and without reason. When they refused to leave and inquired what they had done wrong, the officer evidently called for reinforcements, who armed themselves with capsicum spray and batons, in an attempt to evict one or more spectators sitting in the Greek section.

Leading Senior Constable Steve Old described the incident, which led to the spray attacks on the fans; "Approximately 10 people surrounded me. I was spat on. I had bottles thrown at me, I was pushed, I was shoved and I realised at this point I was on my own and I had to get out of there," he said. Eyewitnesses contradicted Officer Old's statements, and one witness told the Herald-Sun, "I saw the first man sprayed and it was premeditated." Another witness, who did not want to be named, told Neos Kosmos, "She came from nowhere, she sprayed and she ran. Like a little kid pinching something from a milk bar, running away from the shop owner. It looks really bad," he said, referring to the female officer who unleashed the first dose of spray upon the unsuspecting tennis fans.

Speaking to the same police-woman following the incident, Neos Kosmos learned that the police were responding to at least one complaint from Greeks in the packed Margaret Court Arena alleging that there was swearing in some of the Greek fan's songs and chants.

Camberwell woman Anna Tchakirian, was sitting close by and said the police were over the top. "Eight of them (the police) came from nowhere and just charged into the group. One of the two police women seemed like she was spraying random people in the face".

Greek sports fan Arthur Ioannou of Blackburn North, also described the police force as excessive. "The way the police handled the situation was a joke. Instead of speaking calmly to the fans, one of the police officers came in pointing fingers and acting arrogant and rude. He started the whole situation. Then they brought the rest of the police squad, and one of the police women got caught in the middle. She panicked and sprayed people in the face.

"There was no problem with racism between Greek and the Chileans. This was a problem between a police officer and a spectator", Ioannou said.

Chris Vlahogiannis, of the Hellas Fan Club told Neos Kosmos yesterday, "I have never seen anything like yesterday. A lot of people were affected by the spray. They came in without warning. They didn't tell us what we had done. We did nothing wrong. We were picked on unfairly".

The match taking place was stopped and the two players had to wait while the situation calmed down. Kostandinos Economides, who was playing for the first time in the main draw of the Australian Open told Neos Kosmos following the match, "It was very strange and I am really sad about it. It is something that no one wants. Before it happened, there was a great atmosphere. It was completely sudden, and to me it seemed like the police jumped in and created the trouble".

Speaking after the match Fernando Gonazalez evidently found no problem with the Greek chanting, saying, "They're fans. It was very noisy, but the Chileans were also noisy. It was fun."

Witnesses say that the St. John's Ambulance were treating children as young as five or six years of age, contradicting a statement made by Superintendent John Cooke and published on theage.com.au "...that women and children, who were not part of the Greek group of fans, were affected by the capsicum spray were untrue". He also stated that he "absolutely" supported the use of the spray on the fans.

The Hellas Fan Club are reportedly considering legal action, a website statement said.