Banners and posters used in an awareness rally held at St Albans railway station on Monday were torn down and found in a nearby bin. 88191 Picture: SUPPLIED
By VANESSA VALENZUELA
A ST ALBANS mother whose son was killed at the Main Road level crossing is disappointed her banners were torn down and damaged after a rally held at the station last week.
Dianne Dejanovic’s son Christian was struck by a train at the notorious St Albans level crossing on his way home from work in January.
Ms Dejanovic launched an online petition last month urging Premier Ted Baillieu and Transport Minister Terry Mulder to begin the construction of the St Albans grade separation immediately.
Ms Dejanovic also held a rally at the level crossing in St Albans on Monday 1 October, the day her son would have celebrated his 32nd birthday.
After returning from a visit to her son’s grave on the day of the rally, Ms Dejanovic was shocked to see all the posters she had left at the station had been torn down.
She said nearby shopkeepers had told her the railway attendants had ripped down the banners which were placed around the station and footpaths.
Having spent more than $1000 to create the posters for the campaign, Ms Dejanovic said she was disappointed to find they had been torn down, damaged and placed in the bin.
Ms Dejanovic said she had spoken to two police officers from Keilor Downs who were present at the rally and they had not asked her to remove the posters.
She also said she had spoken to a representative from Brimbank Council who assured her they would not remove the banners without telling her first.
‘We were just devastated when we went back and they were missing. We felt so betrayed and so disrespected,” Ms Dejanovic said.
Ms Dejanovic said the group had intended to leave the banners at the station until the afternoon peak-hour was over, and that they would have removed the banners when they left the station later that evening.
“I feel this is an act of disrespect against my son, my family and the whole community. The reaction to my posters has been one of violence,” she said.
Despite the damage to the banners, Ms Dejanovic said the group would hold another rally at the station next month.
Metro did not respond to queries before deadline.
To find out more about the ‘Stop the carnage’ petition visit www.change.org/stalbans
