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Sydney: Hundreds of taxi drivers blockaded a major intersection in the heart of Melbourne after an Indian student, who was a part-time taxi driver, was found with severe stab wounds early last morning.
The 23-year-old was found by a passerby in a critical condition, with multiple stab wounds to the upper body.
"He is an Indian student but we won't be releasing his name because none of his family is in Australia. He is in a critical but stable condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital," said a Victoria Police spokesperson.
The youth was stabbed several times in the chest apparently by a passenger and left to die outside a hotel in the Clifton Hill suburb of Melbourne in freezing conditions.
Vehicle abandoned
Detective Senior Constable Brendan Smith told reporters the police found the abandoned crashed taxi soon after but could not immediately find the driver.
"We're still unclear as to what happened in the taxi, but for a man to receive stab wounds and end up in a critical condition in hospital is obviously a very vicious attack and, if completely unprovoked, is very, very concerning," Smith said.
About 300 taxi drivers, mostly from the Indian sub-continent, staged a protest during peak traffic hour at the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in the heart of Melbourne's Central Business District.
Said Pritam Singh Gill, secretary of the Victorian Taxi Drivers Association: "The drivers are very upset with this. The government promised us security and safety for drivers more than 18 months ago and they haven't done anything so far."
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