A man has climbed 140 metres up a tower on Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge and spray-painted a giant ‘Pam the Bird’ tag.
He then took to Instagram, first saying “I’m not coming down until they lower the taxes,” then saying he will come down at midday “peacefully”.
Police shut a lane on the bridge and were negotiating with him until he was ultimately arrested.
It is currently unknown who he is, and whether he’s linked to another person alleged to be behind ‘Pam the Bird’ tags.
Pam the Bird
‘Pam the Bird’ tags have popped up on Melbourne landmarks for years, often in hard to reach or heritage-listed spots.
Police have previously charged 22-year-old Jack Gibson-Burrell with 209 offences related to the tag, including reckless conduct endangering life and criminal damage.
He’s accused of causing about $700,000 in damage, including allegedly abseiling up the Flinders Street Station clock tower in July 2024 to paint the bird there.
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This morning
Emergency services were called just after 3am on Tuesday following reports a man had climbed one of the Bolte Bridge towers in Docklands.
It’s believed he abseiled down the pillar to paint the tag.
Authorities dropped speeds to 40km/h on the bridge and West Gate Freeway, with one inbound lane closed.
A police spokesperson said they were negotiating with the man to get him down safely.
“He is refusing to follow police direction and come down,” they said.
He has since been charged with a total of 13 offences.
