Police urge Victorians planning to visit Melbourne CBD on Saturday ‘to consider the volatile potential’
At least four radical protest groups are set to clash in the CBD on Saturday, with police warning Victorians “to consider the volatile potential” before coming into the city.
Police are bracing for at least four separate protest groups to clash in the CBD on Saturday.
The force says intelligence gathered by investigators indicates the groups will be looking for conflict – as happened in Right versus Left confrontations 11 days ago – and have urged anyone planning to visit the city to consider the volatile potential.
Among factions expected are neo-Nazi members of the National Socialist Network, more moderate anti-mass immigration protesters and hard-line elements of the pro-Palestine movement.
Indigenous people from Camp Sovereignty in the Kings Domain, which was stormed by neo-Nazis on August 31, are also expected, along with others sympathetic to their cause and angry about what happened.
Police say there were multiple assaults in total that day and hostility towards police which included officers being subjected to obscene messages and having objects and liquid flung at them.
“Police are preparing for four separate groups, including those who hold far-right and extreme ideologies, as well as far-left and opposing views, to attend the events on Saturday, which commence on Spring Street and Flinders Street respectively,” a statement said.
“Police intelligence indicates these groups will seek conflict and confrontation, as occurred on 31 August when the same groups clashed in the city – leading to multiple assaults.”
Some of those who caused trouble last time had engaged with police before the event, then disregarded safety advice and changed their plans on the day.
Twenty were arrested on the day and are banned from going to the CBD under bail conditions, among them several neo-Nazis.
Hundreds of police are expected on Saturday, including general duties officers, specialist resources such as the Public Order Response Team, the Critical Incident Response Team and the Mounted Branch.
The CBD will be declared a designated area, giving police extra powers to search people for weapons and direct people to remove face coverings.
City public transport is expected to be severely disrupted and people planning to travel there have been urged to reconsider doing so.
Supt Troy Papworth of northwest metro region said everyone had the right to protest but racial attacks against people and hostility towards police was “gutless”.
“Like the rest of our community, police are completely sick of people using protesting as a veiled excuse to punch on,” Supt Papworth said.
“Melbourne’s CBD should be a vibrant and welcoming place to visit – not a place where people come to spout hate and violence.
“If you are coming into the CBD on Saturday with the intention of fighting, throwing objects or abusing others, you can expect to spend some time in a police cell.”
One of Saturday’s rallies, dubbed Sovereignty Never Ceded, will aim to drown out far-right groups who are believed to be holding a separate rally on Spring St.
The anti-racist group have called on their supporters to “drive them off the streets”.
“We are initiating a broad anti-fascist and anti-racist united front to ensure the events of last Sunday are not repeated,” a statement read.
“The best way to defend possible victims of the fascists is to drive them off the streets through mass, militant, working-class action.
“We will start by opposing their planned action at parliament on September 13. We will march to meet the far-right rally at parliament, and if our forces are strong enough, prevent them from marching.”
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