Greens councillor Anab Mohamud accuses police of being racist over alleged nightclub fight

Victoria Police has rejected claims it racially profiled an inner-city Greens councillor, revealing the reason why the case against her isn’t going ahead.

The Victorian Greens says it stands by councillor Anab Mohamud.

Victoria Police has rejected claims it racially profiled an inner-city Greens councillor after her charges over an alleged nightclub fight were dropped.

At Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, assault and public drunkenness charges were withdrawn against Yarra City councillor Anab Mohamud, 35, over an alleged fight with transgender woman Al Shaba Bin Taha, 31, outside Chasers’ Nightclub in South Yarra in April last year.

Cr Mohamud welcomed the decision but said she should never have been charged in the first place and accused police of racial profiling.

“When you’re the victim of a sexual assault or a violent crime, police should be there to protect you, not prosecute you,” she said.

Anab Mohamud after the alleged altercation.

Al Shaba Bin Taha leaves Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

“Yet sadly things like this happen on a regular basis to people like me.

“Racist profiling regularly leads police to target Muslims, black people and people of colour.”

But a Victoria Police spokesman said the charges had been dropped because the complainant had advised police she no longer wanted to pursue them.

“It was determined without this there was no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman also rejected claims police had racially profiled Cr Mohamud.

“Charges were laid on the evidence presented,” he said.

“We treat people as being equal before the law, without discrimination of any kind.”

Following the withdrawal, Cr Mohamud claimed she had been “publicly vilified” rather than recognised as a victim of crime and would never call police again.

Police alleged a verbal altercation between Cr Mohamud and Ms Taha escalated into a physical fight outside the nightclub, which hosts the popular LGBTQ club night Poof Doof, during the early hours of April 11 last year.

The councillor suffered facial and eye injuries during the alleged brawl.

Ms Taha, who was charged with affray and reckless causing injury for her alleged involvement, will front Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The Victorian Greens said it stood by the councillor and would provide support so she could “heal” from the trauma of the incident.

“Charges like these are part of the reason why women, especially women of colour, are often too scared to come forward about crimes of this nature,” a spokesman said.

Earlier this year prosecutors withdrew assault charges against Cr Mohamud over a separate alleged incident in Dandenong in December 2020.