CFMEU Melbourne building under siege

Victoria Police fired rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of anti-vaccination protesters who ­attacked the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne.

Victorian police try to restore peace outside the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: David Geraghty

Victoria Police fired rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of anti-vaccination protesters who ­attacked the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne, smashing windows and pelting the entrance with bottles and missiles.

Hundreds of protesters purporting to be construction workers opposed to the government introducing mandatory vaccination across the industry spent hours outside the union’s Elizabeth St ­office, forcing CFMEU Victorian leader John Setka to retreat inside the building after an earlier ­attempt to address the crowd ­resulted in scuffles.

Union leaders said some of the protesters were genuine construction workers but insisted the crowd was hijacked by right-wing extremists and anti-vaccination activists intent on violent confrontation.

Shortly after 4pm, the protesters pelted the entrance of the CFMEU office with bottles and missiles, smashing windows.

People inside the building barricaded the entrance before setting off fire extinguishers and hoses on to the crowd.

Fights broke out on the street, with men punching each other, scuffling and hurling abuse.

Dozens of police, armed with shields, moved in, pushing the crowd down Elizabeth St.

After a further standoff, police advanced, shouting “move” and shooting rubber bullets. Preventing street access to the back of the union building, police shot more rubber bullets at protesters, with many fleeing down Victoria St. The Australian saw two men hit with rubber bullets.

Mr Setka was earlier abused by the protesters – mostly men without masks and many of whom wore high-vis vests – when he tried to speak to them outside the building.

Mr Setka urged them to “please calm down”, but he was continually shouted down, including being called the “bitch” of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. He could barely be heard as the crowd chanted “f..k the jab” and “stand up or stand down”.

“Please let me have a say. I have never said I support mandatory vaccination. Never ever,” he said through a loudspeaker.

“I have done jail for this union all right. I have stood on picket lines, I have done everything all right.”

When he moved back inside the building, the crowd surged forward and clashes broke out at the entrance.

Mr Setka later condemned the violence as “absolutely disgusting”. “We are not going to be ­intimidated by outside extremists ­attempting to intimidate the union, by spreading misinformation and lies about the union’s position,” he said.

Mr Setka said the union had “always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination and have been consistent with this message”.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus condemned the “violent ­attack” on the union headquarters that she said had been “orchestrated by violent right-wing extremists and anti-vaccination activists”.

“This violent attack on union property which endangered union officials, staff and the public was reprehensible,” she said.

Ms McManus said high vaccination rates were the only way to get out of lockdown, save jobs and get back to work in safe workplaces and communities.

“Where public health experts deem it necessary to mandate a vaccine, everything that can be done to assist those workers to get vaccinated must be done. Every worker who can get vaccinated should get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

In a joint statement on Monday night, four building unions – the CFMEU, the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Plumbing Union – blasted the “heavy handed” decision to impose mandatory vaccinations and lunchroom restrictions across the industry.

“This heavy-handed mandate by the Chief Health Officer, which was implemented with no notice, has only served to drive many ­people towards the anti-vax movement,” they said.

“This unrealistic and blunt ­approach taken by the Government and the Health Department has ultimately undermined the vaccination rollout, which we strongly indicated it would, and we ask them to reconsider and call on the Public Health Team to join us in meaningful discussions to get everybody through these challenging times. “

A Victoria police spokeswoman said several protesters had been arrested.

“As the afternoon progressed the crowd grew increasingly hostile, specialist units attended the scene and crowd control equipment was deployed,” she said.

CFMEU construction division national secretary Dave Noonan claimed the crowd was “heavily ­infiltrated by neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremist groups, and it is clear that a minority of those who participated were actual union members”.