Overview
- A person climbed the eastern 140‑metre concrete pylon of Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge and spray‑painted a large cartoon bird during the early hours of Tuesday, then refused police directions to come down.
- Victoria Police closed southbound lanes, reduced speeds and deployed uniform officers, water police and specialist teams while negotiators kept the situation contained and said there was no ongoing public threat.
- Videos and posts from an Instagram account linked to the Pam the Bird persona showed the trespasser issuing demands from the tower, including lower taxes and a peanut‑butter sandwich, which shaped public attention and the police response.
- Police have not confirmed the identity of the person on the pylon, and authorities cautioned that the man has not been linked to Jack Gibson‑Burrell, who faces more than 200 charges over earlier Pam the Bird incidents and is currently on bail with strict conditions.
- Pam the Bird tags have appeared on Melbourne landmarks since 2023 and are blamed for about $700,000 in alleged damage, raising public‑safety and traffic concerns and likely prompting increased policing and scrutiny of bail conditions in the coming days.