A photographer has been attacked by two Antifa thugs at a far-left rally in Brisbane, but police refused make arrests despite seeing the violence unfold in front of them.
Video shared by photographer Beckonthedawn on his social media accounts shows him being approached by the two men, one wearing a T-shirt saying “Antifa hooligan” and a Palestinian scarf over his face, and the other holding a “unite to fight the right” sign and a “transgender flag”, on Sunday.
After the photographer asked the pair if they were having a good day, the man with the Queensland Socialists-branded sign suddenly attempted to hit him and knock his camera out of his hand, and bizarrely said “go on, punch me in the face” after being told not to touch the equipment.
The video shows the man with the scarf over his head following the photographer, hitting his camera and unleashing a flurry of punches at him while demonstrators marched down the street in the background with a “stop One Nation” banner and police officers on bicycles watched on.
One bike cop then rode up to the first attacker as Beckonthedawn told him “I’ve got it all on camera, buddy”.
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The second far-left protester then followed the photographer and said “come and try and take it” while holding his sign up, before a bike cop rode in between them and told Beckonthedawn to “keep moving”.
“You’re not going to arrest the guy that assaulted me?” Beckonthedawn asked him, but the cop responded by saying “I’m directing you to get off the road”, and “keep moving” when he is asked the same question.
“So you’re not going to arrest the guy who assaulted me?” the photographer asked again moments later.
“You can make a report tomorrow at Fortitude Valley Police Station,” the police officer replied.
“He’s right there, you can arrest him,” Beckonthedawn said, but the cop again told him to keep moving.
“I’d rather you arrest them than they come after me,” the photographer said, but was again told to “make a report tomorrow”.
The attack comes after the Australian government was warned by the Trump administration in April to start combating Antifa and other violent far-left groups that pose a threat of “political terrorism”.
The US officially designated Antifa as domestic terrorist organisation in September last year, sparking calls for Australia to do the same, and in November designated four European far-left extremists groups, including ultra-violent German group Antifa Ost, as foreign terrorist organisations.
Header image: Left, right, the far-left thugs attacking the photographer (beckonthedawn – Instagram).
