The shocking moment a gang of far-right thugs marched down a busy Melbourne street performing Hitler salutes has been caught on camera in an ugly weekend for the Victorian capital.
The ugly scenes happened on Saturday when rival protestors clashed in front of Victoria’s State Parliament during a ‘Let Women Speak’ rally in the city.
The footage showed mounted police officers corralling the crowds as they hurled abuse at one another, while cops on the ground formed a human chain to prevent the opposing protestors clashing.
A group of around a dozen black-clad men wearing balaclavas stood in formation while ring-leader Thomas Sewell shouted: ‘Come here you communist f***ots!’
The group, who were flanked by two individuals carrying Australian flags, brandished a sign that said ‘destroy paedo freaks’.
The men stood is silence with their arms raised in a Heil Hitler salute while the far larger opposition crowd chanted over and over: ‘Unite, unite to fight the right!’
The thugs then walked towards the crowds of protestors who were being held back by police and taunted them while throwing Hitler salutes.
One man, who was wearing a black cap and had his balaclava down around his neck, could be seen smiling and laughing.
Victoria Police were slammed for failing to stop the neo-Nazis from brazenly performing their Heil Hitler salutes.
Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said officers prevented a fight between rival groups but were powerless to stop the actions of the neo-Nazis.
In response, Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes announced on Monday that the state would strengthen its anti-vilification laws to ban the Nazi salute.
‘The behaviour we saw on the weekend was disgraceful and cowardly,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto will move to expel MP Moira Deeming from the parliamentary party over her role in the anti-transgender rally outside the state parliament.
English anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s (pictured right) ‘Let Women Speak’ spoke at the event outside the Victorian parliament
Victorian police have been slammed for failing to stop neo-Nazis (pictured) from doing Heil Hitler salutes on Saturday
Ms Deeming spoke at British anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s ‘Let Women Speak’ event outside the Victorian parliament.
However, members of the National Socialist Movement repeatedly performed the Nazi salute on the steps of Parliament House and held signs calling transgender people offensive names, sparking violent clashes with hundreds of counter-protesters.
‘It’s clear this (Nazi salute) is being used to incite hatred not just towards Jewish people but our LGBTIQ+ community and other minority groups,’ said Ms Symes.
‘Victorians have zero tolerance of this behaviour and so do we.
‘That’s why we’ll expand our nation-leading legislation banning the Nazi Hakenkreuz (Swastika) to include the Nazi salute – because everyone deserves to feel safe, welcome and included in Victoria.’
Liberal MP Moira Deeming (pictured) faces expulsion from her party for attending the same rally
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, who launched a campaign in January to outlaw the Heil Hitler salute, welcomed the move.
‘A terrible wrong has been made right and anyone who loves this country will support this ban,’ he said.
‘This decision honours the sacrifice made by our diggers who died to defeat Hitler and pays tribute to the victims and to the Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives here.’
Mr Pesutto said on Sunday the scenes of black-clad white supremacists marching along Spring Street were an ‘abomination’ and ‘affront’ to values all Victorians should hold dear.
He said he met Ms Deeming on Sunday afternoon and discussed her involvement in organising, promoting and participating in the rally.
Mr Pesutto said Ms Deeming’s position was ‘untenable’ and he would move a motion at the next party room meeting to expel her as a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party.
‘This is not an issue about free speech but a member of the parliamentary party associating with people whose views are abhorrent to my values, the values of the Liberal Party and the wider community,’ Mr Pesutto said.
Victoria’s Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes announced on Monday that the state will strengthen its anti-vilification laws to ban the Nazi salute
One man was seen smiling and laughing while he performed what appeared to be a Nazi salute in front of counter protestors
‘Regardless of religious faith, race, sexual preference and identity, Victorians everywhere should know that the Liberal Party is inclusive and can be a voice for them.’
Ms Deeming was elected to the Victorian parliament last year as a member for Western Metropolitan region, replacing controversial MP Bernie Finn.
In a post on social media, Ms Deeming, a former teacher and City of Melton councillor, said she was disappointed with Victoria Police for letting masked men into the rally buffer zone.
‘Police managed to stop hordes of (trans rights activists), but somehow could only walk masked men past us (as) they did a horrible Nazi salute,’ she said on Twitter.
