A crowd of close to 200 traders, residents and community group representatives gathered in the Nicholson Street mall last Tuesday night to vent their growing frustration at being "bled dry" by four parking cameras in central Footscray.

The rally, the second of its kind and organised by an alliance of traders and community groups, was led by one simple chorus: "Remove! Remove! Remove!"

Dr Phuc Nhan Pham - representing about 200 doctors, dentists, chemists and other health professionals as president of the Australian Vietnamese Health Professionals Association of Victoria - said that since the cameras were introduced in April last year, he had seen patients complaining of stress, anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

Vietnamese community leader Phong Nguyen told the crowd to use their vote to get the message across.

"Council will face the people eventually. If they continue with this they will hear voters' voices."

No doubt keenly aware of that very fact, a number of sitting politicians and others aspiring for the state lower house seat of Footscray were present and each took the opportunity to have a say - though at one point rally organisers had to steer the speakers back to the issue at hand.

Footscray MP Marsha Thomson took the chance to put her views to the electorate four months out from the state election. "I don't think the cameras were a good idea for Footscray. It's been my position all along."

Liberal candidate Ken Betts took Ms Thomson to task, saying she had failed to support the community last year when the issue surfaced. It was, perhaps, the first time a Liberal politician, albeit unelected, has been cheered in central Footscray.

Three Maribyrnong councillors in attendance took the microphone and faced the crowd. The first, River Ward's Dina Lynch, was booed down when she suggested that "decisions are made that we have to live with".