Andrew Bolt: What should most concern any Liberal – any citizen – is that women cannot peacefully rally in Victoria against extremists without massive police protection

Is this how we settle arguments now? Having a howling mob physically attack, intimidate and terrify a diminutive woman and the women trying to hear her?

Want an example of how weak the Liberals are in defending their principles?

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull is a feminist who thinks women’s safe spaces – even their identity – should be defended from the radical transgender movement.

She’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’d rather she spoke with less aggression and more reason.

But if that’s Keen-Minshull’s sin, how much worse is the mob which tried to shut her down and frighten her off?

In Melbourne, she and her female audience needed a heavy police guard outside parliament while socialist Left activists screamed abuse. One grabbed Keen-Minshull’s microphone and two were arrested after fighting police.

Protesters gather around Keen-Minshull in Melbourne. Picture: David Crosling

In Hobart, police let Left-wing protesters surround Keen-Minshull’s audience from just metres away to abuse them, blow whistles and drown out the female speakers.

In Canberra, race-baiting Senator Lidia Thorpe lunged towards Keen-Minshull, who had to be protected by security guards and police.

By now the Left’s bloodlust was so high that in Auckland, Keen-Minshull had a red liquid poured on her hair, while a mob of Leftist protesters, many male, tore down barricades to surround her, screaming and shoving and appearing to knock her down.

It was shameful, and even more so because many hypocrites on the Left, including Greens politicians, cheered on the bullying in the name of “tolerance”.

Keen-Minshull had red liquid poured on her in Auckland. Picture: Dylan Reeve

Is this how we settle arguments now? Having a howling mob physically attack, intimidate and terrify a diminutive woman and the women trying to hear her?

I mentioned the Liberals.

This savagery started in Melbourne. Premier Daniel Andrews encouraged the Left by implying Keen-Minshull’s rally was a Nazi one because about 20 neo-Nazis – uninvited and unwanted by the women – turned up to heckle the socialists.

But the Victorian Liberals caved. One of their MPs, Moira Deeming, had spoken at Keen-Minshull’s rally, and Liberal leader John Pesutto falsely accused her of knowingly consorting with people he falsely accused of associating with Nazis, and demanded his party throw her out.

Liberal MP Moira Deeming with Keen-Minshull. Picture: YouTube

This was exactly the wrong – and weak – response for a Liberal. Liberals are meant to defend free speech and defy mob rule.

What should most concern any Liberal – any citizen – is that women cannot peacefully rally in Victoria against extremists without massive police protection from a threatening mob, and without being vilified by the Premier.

How could Labor-run Victoria have made debate so dangerous?

This was the real issue for the Liberals. If only there were real Liberals to say so.

Originally published as Andrew Bolt: What should most concern any Liberal – any citizen – is that women cannot peacefully rally in Victoria against extremists without massive police protection