Families of people who overdosed on heroin and residents of an inner Melbourne suburb have marched together to call for safe injecting rooms.
The ‘March to Save Lives’ on Sunday aimed to rally support for a safe injecting room in North Richmond and is organised by community group Victoria Street Drug Solutions.
Amid the rally a scuffle occurred as the 500-strong crowd were met by a small group of traders who argue against a safe injection room being setup on Victoria Street despite supporting the idea.
The 500-strong crowd were met by a small group of traders on the corner of Lennox and Victoria Streets (pictured)
The traders object to a safe inject being set up in Victoria Street but support the idea for one
Families of people who overdosed on heroin and residents of an inner Melbourne suburb have marched together to call for safe injecting rooms (pictured)
The small altercation broke out at the corner of Lennox and Victoria Streets, an area commonly known for heroin dealing, the Herald Sun reported.
In only 12-months 34 people died from heroin related causes in the area.
A representative from the Traders association said the group had been kept out of the loop.
The march on Sunday morning in North Richmond heard from the families of people who died from drug overdoses including Loretta Gabriel, whose son Sam died of a heroin overdose.
Ms Gabriel, whose son passed away on Little Lithgow Street a year ago, told the crowd a safe injection room would prevent deaths.
In only 12-months 34 people died from heroin related causes in the area
Respected barrister Robert Richter said that since 2000 hundreds, if not thousands of lives had been lost unnecessarily
Loretta Gabriel, whose son passed away on Little Lithgow Street a year ago, told the crowd a safe injection room would prevent deaths
‘The longer the government delays introducing a safe injection room the longer that are complicit in more deaths,’ she said.
Respected barrister Robert Richter said that since 2000 hundreds, if not thousands of lives had been lost unnecessarily.
‘Politically it’s a no-brainer. Because you’re saying that saving lives is important,’ he said.
The Victorian government is holding an inquiry into a pilot program for a medically supervised injecting room.