Police hospitalised, pepper spray used in violent Melbourne protests
MOHAMMAD ALFARES, JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS and MACKENZIE SCOTTMelbourne cop loses it over protests
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/na...ory/0d5094d0711f72c1fe19cea632b36681#comments
Two Victoria Police officers have been hospitalised after left-wing “anti-racism” activists – including pro-Palestinian demonstrators – attacked police during violent clashes with an anti-immigration group in Melbourne’s CBD, forcing officers to deploy pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets to regain control.
Officers were forced to intervene when counter-protesters with the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism attempted to confront members of the ultraconservative March for Australia movement, who had rallied to demand an end to what they called “mass immigration”.
Police seen during the protest. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui
Police detain a protester on Sunday. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui
A female sergeant is believed to have suffered a broken hand after being kicked, while a male senior constable sustained a deep gash to his leg. Police said other officers were struck with such force that their riot shields cracked.
At least one person was arrested, and detectives are reviewing footage to identify others involved.
In a fiery press conference, Commander Wayne Cheeseman held up a box filled with rocks and smashed glass bottles, saying the objects had been hurled at officers.
“This is what was thrown at police today and I think Melbourne has had a gutful,” he said.
“The left-wing group were running up and down side streets. We were lucky we had barriers and police in place, but they were desperately trying to get to the March for Australia group, who was for a long time static at Parliament House.
“Bottles filled with shards of glass were being thrown at police. Rotten fruit, bins and flags were set on fire. People came to pick a fight with police.
“The people that came to pick the fight with police were the issue-motivated groups on the left,” he said.
“The March for Australia group – they were peaceful, engaging and followed instructions. The others came with masks, hoodies and umbrellas, throwing rocks and hiding behind barriers. They came to harm our members, and it’s got to stop.”
Commander Cheeseman said hundreds of police had been deployed from across Victoria to control what he described as a “volatile and violent environment”, adding that police resources had been drained to deal with protesters during a “crime crisis”.
“Today was a bad day for Victoria Police. I think it was a bad day for Melbourne, and we’re trying to portray a city that we want people to come and visit. We have enough problem with the crime crisis, and I’ll call it a crisis because we don’t have enough police,” he said.
The confrontation marked the second major flare-up involving March for Australia in Melbourne this year, after a similar rally in August descended into violent brawls.
A March for Australia protest in Melbourne CBD where left-wing activists are seen counter-protesting near parliament. Picture: David Crosling
March for Australia rallies took place in major cities across Australia on Sunday demanding an “end to mass-immigration now”. Several thousand gathered in Adelaide and Brisbane. In Sydney about 5000 protesters took to the streets, with only a few hundred counter protesters.
But Melbourne witnessed the most violence, with Commander Cheeseman comparing the protest to the contentious Land Forces protest last year.
Pepper spray and other tactical force was deployed on hard left anti-racism protesters countering the March for Australia rally, while a smaller group of anti-immigration activists later fought with police near Spring Street, prompting the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, according to the Herald Sun.
Fights also broke out on Exhibition Street as officers attempted to make arrests, with police pelted with eggs and glass peanut butter jars filled with a liquid substance. One officer was knocked to the ground in the chaos as capsicum spray was deployed to push back the crowd.
Police suspect that “professional protesters” that had engaged in the Land Forces protest attended the counter protest today looking for conflict.
News photographers reportedly also came into the line of fire from pepper spray.
Up to 800 anti-racism protesters had gathered outside the State Library, waving Palestinian and Aboriginal flags and holding signs reading “no neo-Nazis” and “stop fascism”.
The crowd began marching down Swanston Street about 11.45am before being blocked by police at several intersections. Officers on horseback and on foot formed human barriers to prevent the groups from converging.
Police use pepper spray as protests flare in Melbourne on Sunday. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui
The day of unrest came as the Allan government again defended its claim that the CBD remains safe, despite the protest violence and the release of shocking CCTV showing sushi chef Wan Lai being stabbed in a random attack earlier this month.
While Premier Jacinta Allan has not commented, Housing Minister Harriet Shing described Melbourne as “thriving, vibrant and busy” while unveiling a new housing project in Footscray.
“I’ve been in the city this weekend and it has been just full of throngs of people enjoying all sorts of activities,” Ms Shing said.
“Again, there is always a space for protest activity, but it needs to be done safely.”
But when asked whether she had ever been to one of the weekly CBD protests, Ms Shing said: “No”.
The Sydney demonstration was told not to engage with counter-protesters by an organiser as the crowd left Hyde Park about midday on Sunday, before walking down Market street chanting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - oi, oi, oi”.
People at the rally were caped in Australian flags, many have the red ensign version of the Australian flag officially flown by registered merchant ships and a smattering of Aboriginal flags and Eureka Stockade/Southern Cross flags.
One sign read: “Quality immigration, not quantity”.
March for Australia in Sydney’s Hyde Park. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone
In Brisbane, Maverick Katter Australia Party MP, Bob Katter, was spotted among protesters. He launched a scathing spray at Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke for granting visas to almost 2000 Palestinians during the conflict in the Middle East.
“Now the Gazans are people that come from the same area and are part of Hamas,“ Mr Katter said.
“They murdered 1200 people crossing the border into Israel, and they murder people all of the time.”
Protestors could be heard shouting, “You can shove Palestine up your hole”.
Mr Katter’s son and Queensland KAP leader, Robbie Katter, told the assembled crowd that many migrants failed to assimilate with Australian culture.
“They’re coming to this country, and they not only are they indifferent to it, some of these people, but they’re actually aggressive against it,“ the younger Katter said.
Queensland police confirmed one male marcher was arrested, as well as two women who were a part of a contingent of 300 counter-protesters. No charges were laid.
On Sunday morning, Mr Burke said the level of immigration has “been coming down and it needed to come down”.
“The net overseas migration figure we’re expecting will continue to soften, and that’s just getting us to appropriate levels post-pandemic,” he said.
He expressed “reservation” about committing to a four-year immigration plan – a previous commitment by his department – saying locking in figures from four years out would miss the “changed needs” of Australia at that point.
“Imagine if you’d done a four-year plan in 2018 or 2019, what would have happened once the pandemic hit?” he told ABC’s Insiders program.
