Put the curfew to bed!

The Greens’ Lord Mayor candidate for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, addressed a crowd of over 5,000 on the steps of Parliament House on Friday evening.

Protesters from across the city attended to voice their dismay at Premier Brumby’s bandaid ‘2am lockout’ solution to the problems of alcohol fueled violence around Melbourne’s late-operating bars and clubs.

Bandt pointed to the failure of the Brisbane lockouts to curb violence in that city, and defended Melbourne’s special position as the cultural capital of Australia.

“I don’t want to be Lord Mayor of Brisbane,” he said. “I want to be the Lord Mayor of a vibrant, safe, thriving Melbourne that is known for its vibrant nightlife”.

Mr Bandt told the crowd what effective measures Brumby could be taking if he was serious about nighttime safety on Melbourne’s streets. Watch the speech here; click “read more” for some photos.