OFF THE WIRE
POLICE swarmed Geelong yesterday as hundreds of Black Uhlans bikies gathered to farewell one of their own.
A huge police presence, with officers on the roads and in the sky, greeted the Uhlans and confused and worried local residents as the bikies met at their clubhouse in Belmont to send off Bell Park man Jeff Julian.
The 37-year-old died after losing control of his Harley Davidson while riding at Lara on June 6.
Planning for the worst, detectives and general duties officers joined their highway patrol colleagues and officers from the special response teams and mounted police in flocking to Skilled Stadium yesterday morning.
The football ground acted as the police base for the day.
Mourners many donning black armbands honouring their lost brother "Jeffro" began arriving at the Grayling St clubhouse hours before official proceedings began.
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About eight police cars parked near the intersection of Barwon Heads Rd throughout the service, watching for any signs of trouble.
Others lined streets nearby, while a police helicopter hovered over the clubhouse from the sky.
When it was time for the hundreds of Uhlans to begin their procession to Eastern Cemetery, extra police resources flooded on to the scene.
The Uhlans formed a guard of honour to allow Mr Julian's coffin, carefully placed on a motorcycle sidecar and bearing the club's flag, to pass before they roared out behind the casket in droves.
Police in high-visibility vests stood along the major arterials of Barwon Heads Rd, La Trobe Tce, Ryrie St and Boundary Rd, while others followed behind the procession on police motorcycles and marked and unmarked cars and vans. The spectacle generated strong interest from passers-by and Geelong motorists, with many drivers' afternoons interrupted by the farewell, which slowed traffic considerably.
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