Women’s rights rally sparks pro-trans counter protest in Melbourne

Women’s Action Group co-founder Michelle Uriarau says women who speak out for sex-based rights have received death and rape threats, after eggs and water balloons were thrown at rally presenters in Melbourne.

Police form a barricade between the pro-trans side and the women’s rights gathering. Picture: Tricia Rivera

One woman has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer and several members of a pro-trans counter rally have thrown eggs and water balloons at speakers at a women’s rights demonstration in Melbourne on Saturday.

Activist organisation Women’s Action Group planned a ‘Women Will Speak’ event to take place at Victoria’s state parliament on the weekend, which was met with a pro-trans protest.

A police barricade was formed to separate the Women’s Action Group event and the pro-trans demonstration organised by Trans Queer Solidarity.

A large police presence, included mounted officers, was stationed at Spring St and Bourke St.

“Around 20 participants initially attended the event about 11am. About 150 protesters from another group also attended the rally, throwing eggs and water balloons at the speakers involved,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

“A 36-year-old Brunswick woman was arrested at the scene for allegedly assaulting police. She has been released pending further inquiries.

“Victoria Police is disappointed with the actions of the group and while it supports peaceful protests it has a zero-tolerance policy for violence or disruptive acts which impact the broader community.”

Some of the people who were part of the Trans Liberation protest group were wearing keffiyehs and one man was seen waving a Palestinian flag. Picture: Supplied

Details of the Women’s Action Group were shared online, and in response a ‘Trans Liberation’ rally was scheduled to take place at the same location.

The group was formed in 2019 and the organisation state their motivation is to fight against “the ongoing erosion of women’s rights in Victoria and in all of Australia”.

“Humans cannot change sex. Men can never be women,” a speaker said at the Women’s Action Group event told the crowd on Saturday.

“It is our inherent right to exercise freedom of expression … and policy and legislation must reflect reality not ideology.”

Most of the speeches were barely audible as members of the Trans Liberation gathering blared loud music, banged drums and shouted cries such as “f*ck off fascist”.

Women’s Action Group co-founder Michelle Uriarau said the purpose of the counter rally was to intimidate women.

“We are there to to facilitate a platform for ordinary woman to come and speak, to listen and to be heard, and as seen yesterday, that is currently not allowed.” Ms Uriarau told The Australian.

“Some of the signs that they that they brought along with them, more or less was threatening us with death.

“Men who pretend to be women hate woman ... and they prove us right time and time and time again.”

Ms Uriarau said that everyone should be able to exercise their right to freedom of expression.

“They absolutely have a right to protest us. What they do not have a right to do is be violent and behave aggressive towards us,” she said.

“I know a lot of women, and they get death threats, rape threats, you know, and not just to us, but towards our children.

“The only reason that police need to be there at our events is not because of us. It’s because of them.”

The Women’s Action Group demonstration took place on the front steps of Victorian parliament. Picture: Tricia Rivera

Some of the people who were part of the Trans Liberation protest group were wearing keffiyehs and one man was seen waving a Palestinian flag.

Signs on the pro-trans side read “life’s short, try hormones”, “Trans existence is resistance”, and “fascist graves are gender neutral toilets”.

Trans Queer Solidarity said the purpose of their rally was to “help our community drown out the hateful and regressive rhetoric”.

“Women’s Action Group founder Michelle Uriarau and her … ilk are planning a transphobic rally,” the group wrote in their description of their rally.

A pro-trans poster seen at the event. Picture: Supplied

Expelled Liberal state MP Moira Deeming said women were being harassed for expressing a different opinion, and shared the safety precautions women take when participating in these rallies.

She was not present at Saturday’s event.

“It’s all very good and well, to have a police barricade during that little bit of time when we’re having our rallies. And I’m not asking for police escorts to and from, I just would like to point out the fact that many of us leave and we arrive in groups and we do so because of the fear of these people following us,” Ms Deeming told The Australian.

“If you want to know why I’m not going to these things, it’s because I have catastrophic PTSD from all the threats and the abuse that have been whipped up against me on the basis that I’m some kind of Nazi sympathiser.

“Quite often, what I have seen is they’re allowed to get quite close to the women and absolutely intimidate them, hover over them, threaten them.”