Wild scenes as women's rights protesters and pro-trans activists start a street brawl
The streets of Melbourne plunged into chaos this afternoon after pro-trans activists clashed with police and other members of the public while two peeople were arrested.
Four police officers were also treated for non-life threatening injuries following the protests involving an estimated 440 activists.
Pro-trans counter-protesters gathered to play drums and chant loudly during a separate rally hosted by Women's Voices Australia on the steps of Parliament House on Saturday morning.
The women's rights group attended to challenge the Allan Government's proposed expansion of anti-vilification laws which they claimed undermined freedom of speech.
They found themselves outnumbered by the counter-protestors, some of whom carried posters reading: 'Cops kill queers, queers kill cops,' 'Vic Pol protects Nazis' and 'Trans exclusionary radical fascists.'
Authorities prepared for the clash ahead of time, with riot police outside parliament and a designated search area in force near the rally.
A spokesperson for Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia officers had to form 'multiple lines' to keep the groups separate as protesters began throwing missiles at police.
The spokesperson did not say which group threw the missiles.
Officers arrested two individuals following the protests, though Victoria Police will continue to scan CCTV footage to determine whether more offending took place
Things only escalated when a group of about 40 protestors began marching through nearby streets, blocking busy intersections with wooden pallets and swarming local retailers.
Police arrested a 37-year-old Brunswick East woman for unlawful assault and wilful damage and a 41-year-old Footscray man for indictable assault of police.
Officers had to buy water-filled barriers to separate the groups and prevent the violence from escalating.
Shocking footage showed several protesters trading blows before others tore at the arms of arresting officers.
Former Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick was filmed being shoved to the ground on Spring Street before wagging his finger and declaring to reporters: 'I want him arrested for assault.'
He was reported to have earlier been escorted from the front steps of Parliament House carrying a transgender flag.
A group of young men yelled 'f*** trans rights' while following the protestors to the lawn outside the State Library.
Following an altercation, the men were chased down Swanston Street and into an alleyway, The Age reported.
Officers conducted 38 searches to remove face coverings and search for weapons, though none were found.
Search powers remained in force in the area until 8pm while officers continued to review CCTV footage to determine if more arrests needed to be made.
'Victoria Police respects the right for people to protest peacefully however we have zero tolerance for those who threaten the safety of the community and police,' a police spokesperson said.
'Police will now review CCTV vision from the rally and will investigate any further offences detected.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
20 hours ago
- Daily Record
Gary Lineker barred from speaking at Jewish football icon Brian Glanville's funeral over controversial post
The son of the late football writer has said he will not have Lineker "anywhere near" his father's memorial service The son of the late football journalist Brian Glanville has stated that he won't allow Gary Lineker"anywhere near" his father's memorial service due to his criticisms of Israel. Brian Glanville, a renowned former Daily Express sports reporter who passed away at 93, was Jewish and had been friends with Lineker since the ex-footballer's early days at Leicester City. The family had considered inviting Lineker to speak at a service at St Bride's Church on London's Fleet Street. However, this was before Lineker was compelled to leave the BBC after sharing an anti-Zionism post featuring an illustration of a rat. Mark Glanville commented: "I can't have somebody coming to speak at my Dad's memorial service who, though not anti-Semitic, is someone who is giving ammunition to people who are anti-Semites. Once you share a picture of a rat which is associated with Nazis, you really are crossing a line." The Nazis used images of rats to depict Jews, and Mark added that his father, who passed away last month from Parkinson's Disease, would not have wanted Lineker to speak, despite his respect for him as a player and Match Of The Day presenter. He revealed to the Mail on Sunday that the atrocities of the Holocaust deeply impacted his father, who was born in 1931 and experienced anti-Semitic abuse at the fee-paying Charterhouse School in Surrey. Mark revealed: "Dad was passionate about Israel. He was a schoolboy during the Second World War but he was aware of what happened. "He saw Israel, after all the utter horror, like so many Jews, as a country that was Jewish and where Jews could thrive as Jews and be safe. "I do not think Lineker is anti-Semite. But he does single out almost exclusively Israel, as so many people do, with the type of criticism that gives no context of what happened on October 7 and what has triggered it all. "As he is such a major public figure, he is lending a lot of fuel to people who have a very different agenda and who really don't just hate Israel, but also detest Jews. "I believe Lineker really cares about issues but I wish he would talk about what is going on in Syria, in Sudan and with women in Afghanistan." Reflecting on his father's legacy, Mark said: "We felt that for a man of such stature, Dad deserved a proper memorial service and my sister suggested inviting Gary Lineker to speak, saying that he had really loved Dad's work. "But I said that while this was undoubtedly the case, loads of other people were admirers of Dad's work as well. I then said there was no way Lineker was coming anywhere near it. "She was very understanding as I explained that in my view Lineker was an exceptionally talented footballer and that is where it should have stayed." Lineker himself acknowledged, 'I recognise the upset that I caused'. Lineker, 64, was set to leave Match of the Day at season's end while still covering the FA Cup and World Cup for the BBC. Nonetheless, his departure from the Corporation came last month following a dispute over the rat image, despite his insistence that he "would never consciously repost anything antisemitic". He acknowledged: "However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment customer is caught up in machete attack at Melbourne shopping centre as stores plunged into lockdown
A woman filmed the moment a Kmart locked customers inside its store to save customers from a machete attack. A group of five to six teenage boys, armed with machetes, were seen fighting in Caroline Springs Shopping Centre, in Melbourne 's west, about 6.40pm on Friday. A Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the boys had fled by the time officers arrived at the scene. CCTV footage showed shoppers and retailers as they scrambled to avoid the armed group. Ari was shopping in Kmart when the attack unfolded. 'We're going into lockdown because someone has a machete,' she told viewers as other customers screamed in the background. Several customers were confused as Kmart locked its doors, fearing one of the machete-wielders was inside the store. An employee explained to Ari the attack had happened '10, 20 minutes ago' and Kmart had been cleared but 'security wants the whole shopping centre shut down'. Kmart workers urged customers to stay inside the locked store but some still chose to duck under the roller shutter. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kmart for further comment. Several other shoppers affected by the lockdown shared news of the incident as it unfolded. Pictured is an outtake from CCTV footage obtained by Nine News depicting a young male believed to have been involved in the incident on Friday night 'Another machete attack while I was getting my noodle on,' one TikTok user wrote in a video filmed inside the shopping centre as the lockdown announcement played over the loudspeakers. While no injuries were reported, the incident called into question the effectiveness of a ban on the sale of machetes by the Victorian government. The ban followed a clash between suspected rival youth gangs alleged to have been carrying the weapons at Northland shopping centre in Preston on May 25. Footage from inside the popular mall depicted shoppers running for cover as a group of seven males, aged between 15 and 21, squared-off. The following day Premier Jacinta Allan announced her government would bring forward the machete ban until a permanent ban takes effect on September 1. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Ms Allan said last Monday. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' Investigations into the Caroline Springs incident remain ongoing.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Kids allegedly spotted carrying lethal weapons at a busy shopping centre just days after they were banned
A popular Melbourne shopping centre was sent into lockdown on Friday evening after a group of boys were seen allegedly carrying machetes days after a ban came into effect. The group of five-to-six boys were seen arguing inside Caroline Springs Shopping Centre in the west Melbourne suburb of Caroline Springs, at about 6.40pm. A Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the boys were believed to have been armed with machetes and had fled by the time officers arrived at the scene. CCTV footage obtained by Nine News showed shoppers and retailers as they scrambled to avoid the armed mob who appeared to threaten one another. 'I feel so scared... I just quickly go and shut the cafe and tell my other staff "don't leave",' witness Pawan Kaur told Nine. Witness Hung Nguyen watched on in horror as a boy pulled what he believed to be a machete from his backpack before tensions spilled over. 'I can't believe it did happen,' he said. Shoppers affected by the lockdown plastered news of the incident across social media as the events unfolded. The popular Melbourne shopping centre was plunged into lockdown following reports of a group of boys carrying machetes 'Another machete attack while I was getting my noodle on,' one TikTok user wrote in a video filmed inside the shopping centre as the lockdown announcement played over the loudspeakers. While no injuries were reported, the incident called into question the effectiveness of a ban on the sale of machetes by the Victorian government. The ban followed a clash between suspected rival youth gangs alleged to have been carrying the weapons at Northland shopping centre in Preston on May 25. Footage from inside the popular mall depicted shoppers running for cover as a group of seven males, aged between 15 and 21, squared-off. The following day Premier Jacinta Allan announced her government would bring forward the machete ban until a permanent ban takes effect on September 1. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Ms Allan said last Monday. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' Investigations into the Caroline Springs incident remain ongoing.
