Immigrant protesters demanding permanent visas have clashed with police in Melbourne.
Video obtained by Noticer News shows an unruly group being pushed back outside the Department of Home Affairs office in Dockland by Victoria Police officers who arrest a violent protester moments later.
Immigrant protesters have clashed with police in Melbourne where they are demanding permanent visas for so-called refugees.
Video exclusively obtained by Noticer News shows a violent demonstrator being arrested.https://t.co/3qDViNA8CW pic.twitter.com/END7h1u7wD
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) August 29, 2024
A second clip shows a demonstrator shouting “what the fuck is wrong with you cunts?” at police before a man with a megaphone starts an “enough is enough” chant.
Protesters have been blocking streets in Melbourne for several weeks, demanding so-called refugees on temporary visas be allowed to stay in Australia forever, and are supported and organised by a coalition of far-left extremist groups including Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality, and Socialist Alliance.
The clashes came after a snap rally at Parliament House on Wednesday night for Tamil asylum seeker Mano Yogalingam, who committed suicide by setting himself on fire at a skate park in Melbourne’s south-east on Tuesday.
The Tamil Refugee Council said Mr Yogalingam’s claim for refugee status had been rejected, and believed the 11 years he had spent on a bridging visa had contributed to his death. He was a regular participant in the protests.
The clashes come after right-wing counter protesters with a sign reading “fuck off, we’re full” turned up at a rally in the same location earlier this month.
The group of about 20 black-clad activists held a banner saying “Fuck off, we’re full”, chanted “Australia for the White man, the rest must go” and sang the German anti-immigration anthem L’amour Toujours with altered lyrics to match.
Banner action against refugees!
📍 Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺
Friday, 16/08/24 pic.twitter.com/gZRQYgjF0Y— Masked Hersant (@maskedhersant) August 16, 2024
The immigrant protesters chanted “free free refugees” response while holding signs produced by left-wing extremist group Socialist Alliance, and waving communist flags.
Police officers formed a line between the two groups and the protest concluded peacefully.
David Glanz, the Jewish pro-refugee activist behind Friday’s immigrant protest, told the Herald Sun his Refugee Action Collective were working with another far-left group, Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality, which had organised previous rallies.
‘No borders, no nations, no deportation’
Chanted by migrants today during their protest as they DEMAND to stay in Australia forever. pic.twitter.com/IgTMuTOWpo— auspill (@aus_pill) August 12, 2024
Photos taken by TikToker Auspill show far-left activists present at an earlier rally, one wearing Victorian Socialists branded clothing, signs professionally printed by the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women, and left-wing extremist leaflets being handed out along with copies of Socialist Alliance newspaper Green Left.
A migrant protester was also photographed beating a drum with “Free Palestine” and anti-Fascist stickers, and one demonstrator held a sign saying “As a woman, my home was not safe, please bring peace back to my life”.
According to their website, the Victorian Socialists want to “radically reorganise society” and aim to abolish capitalism and create a socialist republic with a classless society.
Auspill was arrested while documenting an August 12 protest, sharing a video showing immigrant protesters chanting “free refugees, no borders, no nation, no deportation”.
