Police say they are “appalled” by violent clashes that broke out between anti-immigration protesters wearing Nazi salutes and counter-demonstrators outside the Victorian Parliament.
Key Points:
Police and protesters engaged in violent clashes at an anti-immigration demonstration outside Parliament on SaturdayPolice used pepper spray and made two arrestsThe demonstration was strongly condemned by the federal government and the Racial Discrimination Commissioner
On Saturday, officers were forced to use pepper spray to contain the violence in Melbourne’s CBD, calling on counter-protesters to “get back”.
About 20 neo-Nazi protesters dressed in black and covering their faces gathered on the steps of state parliament to demonstrate against increased immigration.
They were greeted by much larger anti-fascist counter-protesters.
Police made two arrests, including a 30-year-old Doreen man for stealing a body-worn camera and assaulting police, and a 20-year-old Werribee man for “missile discharge” and assaulting the police.
Protesters were met with pepper spray in an attempt to disperse crowds in Melbourne at an anti-immigration rally in Melbourne.()
A police officer was hit with pepper spray and received medical attention at the scene.
“Like the community, the police were appalled by the acts displayed in Melbourne today,” a statement from Victoria Police said on Saturday evening.
“We understand that incidents of antisemitism can make communities feel attacked, threatened and vulnerable. Hate and prejudice have no place in our society.
“Today’s protest involved many different opposing groups and our main aim was to ensure safety, prevent clashes and de-escalate any violent behaviour.”
The police used pepper spray to try to contain the protesters.)
Counter-protester Nick told the ABC that violence broke out outside parliament when anti-fascists “tried to attack the Nazis”.
“Then they started throwing bottles at the Nazis and that point escalated,” he said.
“The police brought out the pepper spray. There were some arrests and there was a lot of pushing and shoving.”
The demonstration was about “the ethnic replacement of white Australians”
In publicity material for Saturday’s anti-immigration rally, organizers said they would oppose new migrants, “further exacerbating the housing crisis and ethnic replacement of white Australians in their own suburbs and cities”.
Australia’s migrant population is expected to grow by more than 700,000 over the next two years and is largely due to the reopening of international borders after pandemic lockdowns.
The growing number of migrants is mainly made up of international students and working holidaymakers.
A federal government review last year has proposed changes to the skilled migration program, student visas and employer-sponsored visas.
Police are working to contain an anti-immigration demonstration with neo-Nazi and anti-fascist protesters outside Parliament in Melbourne.()
Federal government minister Chris Bowen on Saturday called the rally “unspeakably un-Australian” and said the neo-Nazis who took part represented “a fringe of political lunatics who have no place in modern Australia”.
“It’s unacceptable. It’s not on. This is pure and simple racism and neo-Nazism is pure and simple evil.
“He has no place in our country, he must be condemned and he is condemned by this government.”
Racial Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said the use of Nazi symbols was based on racism and posed a serious threat to community cohesion.
“Urgent action is needed to combat racism throughout this country,” Tan said.
“We must treat racism as a scourge in the same way we are committed to tackling child abuse and family violence.”
The Victorian opposition condemned “the neo-Nazi thugs and their toxic bigotry and hatred”.
“This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and goes against the values of an inclusive, tolerant and multicultural community,” said Liberal Leader John Pesutto and MP David Southwick.
They renewed their party’s commitment to work with the state government to ban the Nazi salute.
Premier Daniel Andrews signaled in March that his government would introduce legislation to ban Nazi salutes in Victoria.
“Nazis and their hateful ideology are not welcome here,” he tweeted on March 20, after neo-Nazis used the salute at an anti-trans rights rally, sparking widespread outrage.
The Nazi swastika was banned in Victoria in 2022.
Meanwhile, Victoria Police are investigating after Nazi swastika graffiti was spotted in Altona, west of Melbourne.
