Mounted police in clash with asylum protestors

Riot police on horseback clashed with protesters today as demonstrations continued outside a remote Australian detention centre for refugees.

At least three protesters were knocked to the ground by horses and three more were taken into custody as police barred their approach to the Woomera centre, a former missile-testing base where 300 mostly Afghan and Iraqi refugees are being held.

Meanwhile, police hunting for 11 or 12 refugees who fled the centre in a mass breakout on Friday warned that the escapees could die of dehydration if they hide in the parched desert around Woomera, 1,100 miles west of Sydney.

‘‘This is a desert area. These people had no knowledge of it,’’ said Superintendent Wayne Bristow. ‘‘Let’s forget about the semantics of the rights and wrongs of this. The bottom line is we are talking about people’s safety and welfare.’’

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said 11 of the 50 refugees who escaped on Friday were still on the run. An immigration official said 12 were still free.

Friday’s breakout happened as police clashed with hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Australia’s policy of detaining illegal immigrants in remote camps while their applications for asylum are processed - a process that can take up to three years.

In today’s demonstration, protesters took crates of toys close to the centre’s fence. They were picked up and taken inside by security staff. Later the protesters walked around the fence throwing flowers to refugees.