Police and protesters scuffle again at East West Link protest, as cops vow to get drilling work done More dramatic scenes as police officers and protesters clash at an East West Link drilling site in Melbourne's north VICTORIA Police says it will continue to deploy as many officers as is necessary to allow drilling work for the controversial East West Link to be completed, despite the heavy cost to police resources. That's despite drilling at one site being stopped today due to fears for workers' safety. Police violently clashed with opponents to the road tunnel in Melbourne's north for the third day running, as protesters again delayed crucial drilling work. A 60-year-old woman was taken to hospital as a result of this morning's scuffle, near the Westgarth and Nicholson St corner in Fitzroy. A man was also arrested for assaulting police. Raw and uncut vision from channel Ten shows East West protesters violent confrontation with police as they force work to stop at a drilling site Acting Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent said he believed six protesters had been charged this week while others had been interviewed and would receive a summons for assaulting police and blocking Mt Alexander Rd during a sit-down protest on Monday. Acting Assistant Commissioner Nugent said between 60 and 80 police had been deployed to protest sites in Fitzroy and Collingwood each day this week, at great cost to taxpayers. He could not yet put a dollar figure on the expense, but said it was "significant in terms of cost and resources." "We've taken police off the front line to be able to respond to this," he said. Police remove East West Link protesters from a fire hydrant in Fitzroy. Despite this, "as many (police) as needed" would continue to be directed to protest sites, Acting Assistant Commissioner Nugent said. He said the escalation from protesters today, which saw them aggressively pull down a fence surrounding an active drill site, was "unacceptable." He was not aware that any excessive force was used by police to stop the mob, but encouraged protesters to make a complaint if they thought the situation was handled too roughly. "Certainly it is very, very difficult for police," he said. Police try to remove East West Tunnel protesters from surround a water supply for the drilling rig. Our role is to preserve the peace and try to enable businesses to go about their lawful activities. It may well be that police had to use force. He said Linking Melbourne Authority will not continue drilling at the Westgarth/Nicholson St site today out of concern for worker safety. Three protesters remain atop the drill. Protesters try to pull down the fence as police move in to stop them. Acting Assistant Commissioner Nugent said police would not attempt to force them down. The escalation of hostilities came as demonstrators dramatically moved their protest to a second drill site in Melbourne's north. Initially, protesters had concentrated their efforts on blocking the water supply to the first drill site near the Westgarth St and Brunswick St intersection in Fitzroy from 6am. But the protesters rapidly changed tack and sprinted to a second Westgarth St drill, near Nicholson St just before 7.30am. Officers restraining one of the protesters. Protest leader Anthony Main instructed them to do so after discovering their efforts to cut off water to the site had failed when a local butcher offering its water supply. Police pounced on protesters as they tore a fence away from the second drill location. Some were handcuffed, but there were no arrests. Several protesters fell to the ground in the nasty scuffle. Police clashed with protesters in dramatic scenes. Nicole Garmston Among them was Fitzroy North woman Rosie Elliot, 60, who yesterday grabbed the headlines by clambering over a fence and scaling a drilling rig with a "Trains not toll roads" placard." Today said police pulled her to the ground "like a rugby scrum" as she held on to the fence. "One then hit me in the face, specifically hit me in the face," said Ms Elliott, who spent more than eight hours strapped to a drill yesterday. One of them stopped on my legs, and I think I've fractured my leg. A protester grabbed a fire hydrant being used by the drill workers. I'm just shocked. I feel like I've been in a motorcycle accident. When the scuffle died down, protesters linked arms and formed a resistance on both sides of the drill site, closely watched by police. Mr Main used his megaphone to warn police protesters would continue to up the ante if needed. If you continue to assault our people ... we will escalate this protest. We will block Alexander Pde again," he said. One of the drill workers was seen spraying protesters with water during the commotion. Mr Main urged drill workers to "go home," telling them the protesters would block the site all day. Four protesters managed to breach the drill site during the commotion and three were perched on the drill late this morning. "I'm fully prepared to stay here until tomorrow," declared Tony Murphy, an activist who used a bike lock to attach himself to another drilling rig in North Carlton in October. Also perched defiantly on the drill was unionist Kat Galea, of Heidelberg, who made headlines in October after hitting her head on a car while tussling with police outside John Holland's Abbotsford office. Police took early action to fend off protests, arriving about an hour before the planned 6am protest near the Westgarth St and Brunswick St corner. Early on, about 40 protesters gathered about 50m from the drill site, linking arms and surrounding a fire hydrant in the middle of Westgarth St. Police, decked out in tactical gear, initially tried to pull protesters away from the fire hydrant as protesters ran to surround it. One elderly protester - Keith Fitzgerald, who is set to lose his Bendigo St home in Collingwood as a result of the road project - fell to the ground in the altercation. A female protester also made off with the fire hydrant cover. Adding to police already in position, 80 police had arrived just before 6.30am - double the numbers that yesterday failed to control protesters in an ugly scuffle that left both parties grazed and bruised. Their presence meant workers were able to start drilling after the stopped work yesterday.