Victoria Police face human rights probe amid failure to stop neo-Nazis’ protest at Parliament

Victoria Police will be put under the microscope for allegedly breaching race laws by encouraging, authorising or assisting neo-Nazis to protest on the steps of parliament.

Victoria Police is facing a human rights probe after officers failed to stop neo-Nazis from protesting at Parliament House.

The Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has confirmed it will launch an investigation into a formal complaint Victoria Police breached race laws by encouraging, authorising or assisting neo-Nazis to protest on the steps of parliament at a now infamous Let Women Speak rally in March.

Police came under fire for failing to stop the neo-Nazi protesters from marching and saluting on Spring St after gatecrashing the rally.

The VEOHRC complaint alleges “twenty neo-Nazis all dressed in black, some with their faces covered, publicly engaged in conduct that incited hatred against, serious contempt for and/or revulsion and/or severe ridicule of myself and/or members of the Jewish race and/or religion.”

Neo-Nazis in front of the Victorian parliament before women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen was due to appear in March. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“Absent Victoria Police encouraging, authorising and assisting the neo-Nazis, they would have been unable to publicly incite hatred against, serious contempt and/or revulsion and/or severe ridicule of myself and/or members of the Jewish race and/or religion.”

The complaint, seen by the Herald Sun, also references the alleged breach of a legal agreement signed off by former police chief Christine Nixon in 2008 ordering police to report all racially or religiously motivated incidents and determine any offences that may have been committed.

It undertook to uphold provisions in the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act and Equal Opportunity Act to protect all Victorians from unlawful conduct.

The complainant wants the Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines MP and Victoria Police senior command, including Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, to personally undertake agreed educational training about the devastating impact of racial and religious vilification.

Neo-Nazis gatecrashed women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen, pictured arguing with a counter protester, during her Melbourne tour. Picture: NCA NewsWire

It has also called for officers who allowed the protest to face disciplinary action and a formal apology from the state government and Victoria Police for enabling racial vilification.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said it could not comment on the VEOHRC complaint.

“Protests can be incredibly difficult to manage, especially when you have multiple groups of people coming together with opposing views,” she said.

“In these instances, the role of police is to keep the peace and prevent opposing groups from clashing.

“The appalling action by the Neo Nazis on Saturday 18 March was unlike anything we had seen on city streets in recent times.”

A review of the protest has since been conducted by police.

“Lessons coming out of this debrief will be used to inform our planning and preparation for similar events,” the spokeswoman said.

“Victoria Police welcomes any proposed legislation that will address the appalling behaviour displayed at this protest.”

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan on Monday denied Victoria Police were lacking the numbers to be able to respond to violent protests appropriately, saying the government had “invested significantly”.

“We need to let this work being done between Victoria Police and VEOHRC run its course and to see what may come out, the lessons that may come out of that,” she said.

“It was a disgusting protest that we saw on the steps of parliament. It has repulsed so many people across the community,” she said.

Ms Allan wouldn’t say whether she believed Minister Carbines and Chief Commissioner Shane Patton should undergo educational training.