Free the Strip! Melburnians fight back against outlawing of much-loved picnic spot
Residents of Carlton, Melbourne, are protesting a local council ban on drinking alcohol on a popular median strip. The community has organized a peaceful protest and a large petition to challenge the council's decision to reclassify the space.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between local government urban management and community-led social traditions in public spaces.
The median strip on Canning Street in Carlton, Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP The median strip on Canning Street in Carlton, Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross/AAP Melbourne Free the Strip! Melburnians fight back against outlawing of much-loved picnic spot A council ban on drinking on the median strip in Canning Street, Carlton, sparks a peaceful protest featuring punch bowls, chips and laughter
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Prefer the Guardian on Google It looked like a typical spring evening on Melbourne’s Canning Street when a few dozen picnickers gathered on the grassy median strip on Friday, with drinks in hand.
People in one group who’d come with a full alfresco setting chattered as they ladled punch out of a glass bowl on a wooden table, set with a tablecloth and yellow flowers in a vase. Others sat on picnic blankets, passing around bags of chips.
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