socialist groups. Many Greens members were involved though there was no official party involvement despite public support. Some ALP members were involved. There was a small but vocal faction of libertarian economists. Networks of hacktivists and some suspected association with Anonymous were involved. Marxist and socialist groups had the most influence in the Direct Action working group, many anarchists were involved in first aid, legal, facilitation and kitchen working groups. There were small autonomous collectives of indigenous, women and queer identifying people during the initial protest encampment. Involvement in industrial disputes In November 2011, participants from Occupy Melbourne were involved in an industrial dispute at a Baiada chicken plant, which was exploiting the labour and endangering the safety of predominantly southeast Asian women migrants at the plant, some of which were paid as little as $8 per hour, well below the award rate. The dispute involved an ongoing picket of the plant, strikes and other actions, closing the plant for 13 days. It was won by the workers in late November. A second industrial dispute was ongoing during November 2011, in which Qantas baggage handlers were disputing job cuts, low pay and degrading service safety. Occupy Melbourne was prepared to go to Melbourne Airport to support pickets and direct action, though the dispute never escalated to this level. However, the prospect of the Occupy movement acting in solidarity with Qantas workers shaped the discourse around the dispute. Results and influences Influence on institutional politics As in many other countries that experienced mass protest movements in the wake of the GFC, Australia, particularly Victoria, has experienced an increase in the number of smaller political parties and independent candidates running in elections at all levels of government. This parallels and increased interest in participation in institutional politics and a growing distrust of established political parties and institutions. The forced removal of people from City Square triggered an internal debate within the City of Melbourne regarding the powers of the CEO and the Lord Mayor as the eviction from City Square was not endorsed by the councillors. In 2013, Occupy Melbourne participants successfully lobbied City of Melbourne councillors to conduct an investigation into the decisions that led to the eviction from which a timeline of events and documentation was released. Direct democracy in Australia Occupy Melbourne influenced the creation of Real Democracy Australia, which campaigned for direct democracy and considered running a candidate