Deeming’s position ‘untenable’ after Neo-Nazis crash Victoria anti-trans rally

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto says he will seek to expel the party’s upper house whip, Moira Deeming, over her appearance at an anti-transgender rally.

Neo-Nazis hold a Nazi salute on the steps of Victorian parliament. White supremacist and convicted criminal Thomas Sewell holds a megaphone. Picture: David Crosling/NCA NewsWire

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto says he will seek to expel the party’s upper house whip, Moira Deeming, over her links to an anti-transgender rally in Melbourne on Saturday that was ­associated with neo-Nazis, as the Victorian government says it could weigh criminalising more hate symbols.

Mr Pesutto said Ms Deeming’s position was “untenable”.

He said he met Ms Deeming on Sunday afternoon to discuss “her involvement in organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”.

Saturday’s protest at state parliament was sparked by controversial British anti-transgender provocateur Kellie-Jay Keen’s rally in Melbourne, a stop in her tour across Australia.

UK far right activist Kellie-Jay Keen outside the Victorian parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

About 30 members of the Nat­ional Socialist Network, Australia’s most prominent neo-Nazi group, attended clad in all black. Among them, according to the Herald Sun, was Thomas Sewell, a white nationalist who was previously convicted for punching a security guard.

The masked neo-Nazi men held a sign denigrating LGBTI people and held the Nazi salute on the steps of parliament.

A Victorian government spokesperson said it was a “cowardly act of hatred and intimidation that has absolutely no place in Victoria”.

“We will continue to monitor the use of hate symbols and may consider the inclusion of ­additional symbols to the legislation at a later stage,” the spokesperson said.

Victoria last year criminalised public display of the Nazi swastika, the first Australian jurisdiction to do so. It attracts penalties up to almost $22,000 and 12 months’ imprisonment.

Premier Daniel Andrews decried the demonstration in a post to Twitter. “I wish it didn’t have to be said, but clearly it does: Nazis aren’t welcome. Not on parliament’s steps. Not anywhere.”

Victorian police said there were “at least six groups” in Saturday’s face-off. Three people in their 20s were arrested.

Additional reporting: NCA NewsWire