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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.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
On Saturday, officers were forced to use pepper spray to contain the violence in Melbourne’s CBD, calling on counter-protesters to “get back”. <\/p>\n
About 20 neo-Nazi protesters dressed in black and covering their faces gathered on the steps of state parliament to demonstrate against increased immigration.<\/p>\n
They were greeted by much larger anti-fascist counter-protesters.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Protesters were met with pepper spray in an attempt to disperse crowds in Melbourne at an anti-immigration rally in Melbourne.(AAP: Diego Fedele<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/p>\n A police officer was hit with pepper spray and received medical attention at the scene. <\/p>\n “Like the community, the police were appalled by the acts displayed in Melbourne today,” a statement from Victoria Police said on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n “We understand that incidents of antisemitism can make communities feel attacked, threatened and vulnerable. Hate and prejudice have no place in our society. <\/p>\n “Today’s protest involved many different opposing groups and our main aim was to ensure safety, prevent clashes and de-escalate any violent behaviour.”<\/p>\n The police used pepper spray to try to contain the protesters.AAP: Diego Fedele<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/p>\n Counter-protester Nick told the ABC that violence broke out outside parliament when anti-fascists “tried to attack the Nazis”.<\/p>\n “Then they started throwing bottles at the Nazis and that point escalated,” he said.<\/p>\n “The police brought out the pepper spray. There were some arrests and there was a lot of pushing and shoving.”<\/p>\n 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”.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n The growing number of migrants is mainly made up of international students and working holidaymakers. <\/p>\n A federal government review last year has proposed changes to the skilled migration program, student visas and employer-sponsored visas.<\/p>\n Police are working to contain an anti-immigration demonstration with neo-Nazi and anti-fascist protesters outside Parliament in Melbourne.(AAP: Diego Fedele<\/span><\/span><\/span>)<\/p>\n 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”. <\/p>\n “It’s unacceptable. It’s not on. This is pure and simple racism and neo-Nazism is pure and simple evil.<\/p>\n “He has no place in our country, he must be condemned and he is condemned by this government.” <\/p>\n Racial Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said the use of Nazi symbols was based on racism and posed a serious threat to community cohesion. <\/p>\n “Urgent action is needed to combat racism throughout this country,” Tan said. <\/p>\n “We must treat racism as a scourge in the same way we are committed to tackling child abuse and family violence.”<\/p>\n The Victorian opposition condemned “the neo-Nazi thugs and their toxic bigotry and hatred”. <\/p>\n “This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and goes against the values \u200b\u200bof an inclusive, tolerant and multicultural community,” said Liberal Leader John Pesutto and MP David Southwick.<\/p>\n They renewed their party’s commitment to work with the state government to ban the Nazi salute. <\/p>\n Premier Daniel Andrews signaled in March that his government would introduce legislation to ban Nazi salutes in Victoria. <\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n The Nazi swastika was banned in Victoria in 2022.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Victoria Police are investigating after Nazi swastika graffiti was spotted in Altona, west of Melbourne.<\/p>\nThe demonstration was about “the ethnic replacement of white Australians”<\/h2>\n