Jack Gibson-Burrell, the 22-year-old man accused of painting the notorious Pam the Bird graffiti, was arrested on Tuesday after an hours-long standoff atop Melbourne's Bolte Bridge. He allegedly climbed the 140-metre-high eastern pylon, painted a giant cartoon bird, and caused major traffic disruption.
Standoff and Surrender
Police were called to the bridge at 2am after reports of someone scaling the pillar. Gibson-Burrell, dressed in black, climbed down and surrendered peacefully just before midday on the embankment at the bottom of the bridge. The standoff lasted nearly nine hours.
During the incident, Gibson-Burrell abseiled down the pillar, taunted police and media with a wave, and returned to the top. In videos posted to an Instagram page, @pambirdofficial, a man’s voice said: “I’m not coming down until they lower the taxes. Fucking sick of paying that shit.” Another video showed feet dangling and a zoom-in on police below before “flipping the bird.” He later requested a blanket as Melbourne’s temperature dropped to 4C.
Police Response and Public Cost
Acting Inspector Darren Wallis said the man was taken into custody for questioning. “It drew a lot of police resources to respond, including specialist resources,” Wallis said. “It was protracted, and the allegation is that the offender has caused significant damage to the Eastern Tower of the Bolte Bridge, which is going to be a considerable cost to the public.” He thanked the public for staying away and noted the situation was “particularly precarious, quite dangerous to the accused person.”
Previous Charges and Bail
Gibson-Burrell has previously been charged with 209 offences related to other Pam the Bird graffiti, including reckless conduct endangering life, criminal damage, theft, and aggravated burglary. He is accused of causing about $700,000 in damages, including to heritage-listed landmarks like Flinders Street station, where he allegedly abseiled up the clock tower in July 2024. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in May with conditions including a $30,000 surety, a nightly curfew, and a ban on possessing graffiti or abseiling equipment, as well as interstate or overseas travel.
