Police were pretty calm in the face of provocation pic.twitter.com/OXyuOOdP8e
— Nicole 🚺☮️⚛️ #freeassange (@Nic3218) March 23, 2024
Disturbing video from a Melbourne protest shows a cruel far-left protester wearing a “pride flag” as a cape bashing a cymbal right in front of an innocent police horse.
The masked “pro-trans” protester smashed the instrument repeatedly in the horse’s face during the demonstration on Saturday afternoon, which turned violent when left-wing extremists crashed a women’s rights event in city’s CBD.
The officer on the horse could be seen comforting the animal, which appeared to be in distress. “Police were pretty calm in the face of provocation,” said the person who posted the video on X.
Two women were arrested after scuffles broke out between LGBT activists and police, while masked counter-protesters clashed with attendees of the Let Women Speak rally.
Footage of the protests showed radical left-wing protesters with signs saying “make the straights tremble” and “trans is a fever, I am not”, while one brandished a megaphone with “this machine kills fascists” written on it.
“This machine k*lls fascists! Make the straight people tremble”
Look at these people from Melbourne 😳 pic.twitter.com/O5rrlwd8ek
— Clown Down Under 🤡 (@clowndownunder) March 23, 2024
Police said they were forced to use OC spray and were “disappointed at the behaviour of many” of the protesters.
“We had a significant presence to ensure public safety with approximately 100 people attending the rally,” police said in a statement.
“Our members were confronted by hostile members of the crowd who acted out violently towards police.
“We have a long history of supporting peaceful protest but will not tolerate disgraceful and unlawful behaviour.”
Women’s Action Group co-founder Michelle Uriarau said far-left activists tried to silence her group whenever they tried to speak publicly.
Last year’s Let Women Speak event made headlines due to a protest by the National Socialist Network, who dressed in black and held up a banner saying “destroy paedo freaks”.
Now: Police have deployed capsicum spray and pinned trans rights activists at a protest outside parliament.
In the process, a news photographer has been pushed to the ground and been capsicum sprayed. pic.twitter.com/Gh5x7jJVUZ
— Mitch Clarke (@96mitchclarke) March 23, 2024
