AUSTRALIA
SBS
AAP
A ring of police officers linked arms to shield Cardinal George Pell from about 100 journalists, photographers and camera operators who swarmed outside a Melbourne court.
The cardinal walked 100 metres from the office of his high-profile barrister Robert Richter QC to the front steps of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court through perhaps the largest press pack the city has seen.
Scores of local and international reporters, plus members of the public, queued from early on Wednesday to ensure a seat in the court room to witness Pell’s appearance on historical sexual offences.
The demand for seats forced the court to allocate a second room, so more people could watch a live stream.
Pell, 76, arrived at the court just before 9am, after Victoria Police officers barged their way through the media pack making way for Pell and his lawyer.
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