‘Let’s run it’: Victoria Police investigating streamer’s threat to August 31 anti-immigration rally
A Somali-Australian Twitch streamer has threatened upcoming anti-immigration rallies on Sunday, claiming he has a “shooter with a switch ready”.
Victoria Police are investigating a Somali-Australian Twitch streamer who threatened upcoming anti-immigration rallies on Sunday, claiming he has a “shooter with a switch ready”.
The content creator, who goes by the name ‘Deeds23’, posted the clip on TikTok on August 18 in response to the controversy swirling around the “March for Australia” rallies planned for August 31.
“Everybody talking about the 31st of August, c**t, let’s run it,” he says in the video, which has been viewed 130,000 times.
“N****s ain’t scared, wallah, what do you think this is, bro? You guys didn’t see what happened in the UK, when the EDL [English Defence League] n****s tried to run through and they got popped?
“Wallah, let’s f**king run it. Let’s go, just tell me where we meeting. Nasty n****s, where we meeting? Just tell me what block. Flinders, Swanston, Collins, just let me know so I can plan. I’ve got a shooter with a switch ready to just … y’nah mean?”
A “switch” is a small device, popularised by American rap culture, that illegally converts a handgun into a fully automatic weapon.
A number of X users drew attention to the video and called for police to investigate.
“This Islamist Twitch streamer just threatened to carry out a terrorist attack against the August 31st anti-migration rally in Australia,” activist Drew Pavlou wrote.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman told news.com.au on Thursday, “I can confirm that that police are aware of the video and it is currently under investigation.”
In an email on Wednesday, Deeds23 told news.com.au he was “100 per cent not promoting any sort of violence or threatening any violence towards rally attendees or anyone in general”.
“My video was in response to comments stating that on the 31st of August people of colour would be lynched and assaulted and my video was just a reminder that people do have a right to defend themselves and that people of colour would not be scared to defend themselves,” he said.
“Just to be clear again I am 100 per cent NOT PROMOTING OR THREATENING ANY ACTS OF VIOLENCE. I am a big supporter of freedom of speech and even though I do not agree with the march, everyone has the right to state their opinions without being assaulted or threatened.”
It comes amid growing fears of clashes between attendees and counter-protesters at the nationwide rallies, with police in capital cities on alert.
“Victoria Police is planning a significant operational response to several planned protests in Melbourne on Sunday August 31,” the spokeswoman said.
“Given the nature of one of the protests, police intelligence suggests groups who hold far-right ideologies and extreme views are likely to attend the event.
“We also hold intelligence to suggest groups with opposing views are planning on attending specifically to confront the other protest.
“We want anyone planning on attending any of these events to be aware of this information given the potential for conflict.
“While we always respect the right for people to protest peacefully, we are clear that this should be done without impacting the safety of attendees, the broader community, and police.
“Anyone thinking of coming into the city to cause trouble, display hateful behaviour, breach the peace or confront others will be met with a strong police response.
“Uniform police will be supported by the Public Order Response Team, Transit police, Protective Services Officers, Mounted Branch, Critical Incident Response Team, Drone Unit, Search and Rescue and Water Police.
“Police will also be declaring the Melbourne CBD a designated area on Sunday, which will allow officers to search people for weapons and where appropriate, ask people to remove face coverings.
“Transport around the city is expected to be significantly impacted, with road closures expected.
“We urge anyone who is visiting the city to plan ahead and allow for extra time.”
It’s understood police do not believe there is any connection between the anti-immigration protests and the deadly police shooting in Porepunkah on Tuesday by alleged killer and “sovereign citizen” Dezi Freeman.
Police do not currently have information that sovereign citizen groups will attend the rally but are preparing for a range of scenarios.
Organisers of the “March for Australia” movement, which grew from a viral TikTok video earlier this month, have called on protesters to “take our country back” and “stop mass immigration” with rallies planned for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.
The protests have been embroiled in controversy after neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network (NSN) and its “White Australia” political arm voiced their support, with March for Australia issuing an “urgent press release” clarifying it was not affiliated with “White Australia”.
While the March for Australia flyer insists the event is “peaceful and is not intended to incite hate or violence”, the organiser of the Sydney rally, going by the name “Bec Freedom”, has come under fire after saying in leaked audio from an X Spaces that “we need to see violence” similar to the 2005 Cronulla Riots.
2GB host Ben Fordham on Thursday confronted Bec Freedom with the audio clip, sparking a fiery debate.
“We need violence, I’m sorry, but we need f**king violence,” she is heard saying.
“We’ve done peaceful, peaceful hasn’t done s**t. I don’t think that anything significant is going to change unless something like that does happen again. Until we stand up and do something like that day I think it’s just going to be repeating.”
Bec Freedom claimed Fordham had taken the clip “out of context” and said she apologised for making the comments.
“The fact is, if we’re talking about August 31, I’m liaising with the police, I’m making sure our protests avoid the Palestinians for that reason because my goal is to make sure everyone stays safe,” she said.
Last week, radical left-wing groups in Melbourne vowed to “stamp out” the “racist” event.
The Victorian Socialists and the pro-Palestine Sit-Intifada, along with a number of others, have called for an “anti-fascist mobilisation” at the State Library on August 31 — a few blocks from Flinders Street Station, where the anti-immigration rally is to be held.
“On the 31st of August an anti-fascist mobilisation has been called,” Victorian Socialists candidate Jordan van den Lamb, aka “purplepingers”, wrote on X. “Meet at 11am at the State Library and bring your friends.”
The flyer calls for a “pro-Palestine, anti-fascist march for an Aboriginal and multicultural Australia”.
“On Sunday 31st of August, a ‘March for Australia’ nationwide rally is calling for an ‘Australia’ for the ‘white man only’,” it reads.
“This is a serious attack on Indigenous, Black and Brown people, migrants, refugees and Palestinians.
“The racist rally will be at the same time as the weekly Free Gaza protest, claiming to take back the streets from the Free Palestine movement.
“Gather at 11am for an anti-fascist mobilisation, at the State Library. Rally speeches will begin at 12pm. The march will commence at 12.15pm.
“We need to bring out huge numbers, so bring your friends, family and workmates. Defend the Palestine movement and help us build an anti-racist, anti-fascist coalition that can stamp out the politics of the far right.”
The flyer states that the counter-protest is backed by Free Palestine Coalition Naarm, Campaign Against Racism & Fascism, Unionists for Palestine, Anarchist Communist Federation, The Sit-Intifada, Community Defence Marshalling System and the Victorian Socialists.
On Monday, the anti-immigration group behind Sunday’s event shared more details about why they are rallying.
The group posted flyers about the nine locations of the protests, saying “thousands of Australians” will simultaneously march on Sunday.
“Big business wants endless migration,” it said.
“Whether it’s Coles and Woolworths, the big banks, Harry Triguboff, universities or the Business Council of Australia – they all want ‘big Australia’ (a population of 100+m ASAP).
“Each migrant means they can sell another 365 days worth of food or another mortgage. The only cost? Our nation.
“Whether you’re concerned for our culture, wages, traffic, housing supply, water supply, environmental destruction, infrastructure, hospitals, crime or loss of community, we are stronger together! Don’t leave this work to be done by your children.”
It went on to claim “the majority” of Australians were on its side and referenced a Lowy Institute poll from June that 53 per cent of the population say the total number of migrants entering the country each year was “too high”.
“This is a transformation that we never sought, nor consented to. Our political elite ignore the views of the majority, yet call it ‘democracy’,” the statement continued.
“In Bob Hawke’s biography, he stated there is an implicit agreement the parties not to discuss migration. The Labor-Liberal uniparty, both controlled by their donors, had a 25 per cent difference in migration intake at the last election.
“Same policy, different branding. It’s time for a change.”
The group went on to target one group of individuals, claiming “more Indians in five years” had arrived into Australia “than Greeks and Italians in 100”.
“And that’s just from one country,” it said.
“We know migration has a cultural impact. This isn’t a slight cultural change – it’s replacement plain and simple.
“Australia is not an economic zone to be exploited by international finance. If Albo and Ley won’t make a stand, it’s up to us! Make your voice heard.”
According to the Department of Home Affairs, the Indian-born population is the second-largest behind the United Kingdom living in Australia.
The number of Indian migrants more than doubled in ten years since 2013, with 845,800 living in Australia as of June 2023.
It equates to about 10 per cent of the country’s overseas-born population.
Queensland ALP federal MP Milton Dick condemned the flyers as “unacceptable” in a statement on Tuesday in support of the Indian-Australian community.
“I was appalled to see ‘March for Australia’ distribute anti-immigration material to promote their protest,” he wrote.
“In particular, their discriminatory targeting of our Indian-Australian community.
“I unequivocally condemn this behaviour. This sort of commentary is unacceptable and seeks to create division in our community. It has no place in our community and across Australia.
“My thoughts and heart are with the community during this difficult time.”
Queensland Liberal Senator Paul Scarr also condemned the pamphlet in a speech on Monday night.
“The language and references to Australians of Indian heritage is unacceptable, it is outrageous, it is despicable and it seeks to divide Australians at a time when we should all seek to unite,” Mr Scarr said.
“Your community is a great blessing for Australia. You belong, you are part of the Australian story and you have brought so many wonderful things to our Australian community.
“You are the human bridge between Australia and India, and so important for the future of this country.”
NSW Libertarian MLC John Ruddick, who also attended the Sydney Harbour Bridge pro-Palestine protest, said he would be attending the Sunday rally despite fears of “extremists” being there.
“I believe in a five-year immigration pause,” he said in a video on social media.
Some social media users have called for a strike on August 31 in response to the protests.
“All migrants does not matter which country you migrated from stop work on 31st August in every field,” one person wrote in the “Indians in Brisbane” Facebook group.
Another posted, “Request to all fellow Indians. Take day off on Sunday. Don’t do jobs like UberEats UberX or anything in public. Stay home make … samosas … [watch] Netflix. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Not all going to make trouble but there will be people who do something bad. Let them catch trains buy their own food. One day not working won’t hurt anyone.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has labelled the rally un-Australian.
“There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion,” he said earlier this month.
“We stand with modern Australia against these rallies — nothing could be less Australian.”
Their plans comes just weeks after the Sydney Harbour Bridge was shut down by pro-Palestine ralliers calling for action amid the growing famine crisis in Gaza.
Police estimated 90,000 people attended while organisers say the figure was closer to 300,000.
On Sunday, pro-Palestine rallies drew a claimed 100,000 people in Melbourne and 50,000 in Brisbane, according to the Palestine Action Group.
Police in both cities estimated the crowds at closer to 10,000.
— with David Wu
Originally published as ‘Let’s run it’: Victoria Police investigating streamer’s threat to August 31 anti-immigration rally
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