As about 100 protesters gathered outside Geert Wilders’ speech in Melbourne last night, it was not so much a violent clash with police as a clash of political ideologies.
There were plenty of angry profanities being shouted through megaphones as people arrived to listen to the Dutch anti-Islam crusader speak at the Lebanese-owned La Mirage Convention Centre.
The location of the speech was kept secret to try to stop protesters gathering, but word got out through the magic of social media. Lifts were on offer from Roxburgh Park station to shuttle activists to the gig, which was in the treeless working-class suburb of Somerton, an industrial estate about 40 minutes’ drive north of the city.
A collection of self-righteous slogan-shouters from various left-wing activist groups like the Socialist Alternative, the United Struggle Project and Students For Palestine rallied out front.
“Here comes Nazi scum!” they chanted. “Racism! No way! We’re gonna fight it all the way!”
Signs included “F-ck off we’re full — of wankers already”. Or “Fascism is not to be tolerated — It’s to be smashed.”
I attended the protest, talking to people — and I never felt threatened. In fact, I felt a jovial spirit of solidarity emanating from the left-wing comrades.
Ten mounted police guarded the venue’s high wrought-iron gates. The horses looked relaxed and stood sedately on loose reins. I gave one of them a pat.
About 60 cops formed a line to allow speech attendees to safely enter the venue by car. There was a police car to guide them into the turning lane.
One attendee — young, with a shaved head — entered the venue on foot. He gave the protesters the one-fingered salute. “Racist scum!” they yelled back.
A man from the Australian Defence League — an anti-Muslim group with 57 “likers” on Facebook — tried to infiltrate the protest and hold up a sign. His presence was not tolerated by the indignant crowd. “You’re just a crazy loon who talks bullshit about Islam,” one shouted in his face.
“That’s racism. You’re a racist. You don’t want Muslims coming to this country,” shouted another. The bloke just stood there quietly.
Ben Coggins, a 31-year-old from Coburg, from Students For Palestine, was protesting against Wilders’ support of Israel, “which is committing acts of genocide against Palestinians and using a kind of Islamophobia to justify it”.
Another perspective was provided by protester Hillel Freedman, aged 41 from East Bentleigh: “I’m here as a Jewish person. This kind of thing compares to the same kind of thing Adolf Hitler said before he rose to power,” he told Crikey. “Hitler’s original intention was to [expatriate] Jews from Europe. I draw parallels to Geert Wilders, who wants to expat Muslims to back where they come from.”
The irony of some Arabic writing on the convention centre’s entry sign was not lost on Sue Bolton, Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland City Council. “It’s no accident that the right-wing organise their meetings here in a working-class suburb with a high population of Muslims,” she said.
The crowd cheered when it was announced via megaphone that Wilders’ Perth speech (he‘s touring the country) was cancelled and money would be refunded to ticket-holders.
After a couple hours of rallying, one of the organisers announced that everyone needed to leave in an organised manner so that “we don’t have to be here all night waiting for these f-ckers to come out”. Banners were rolled up, the activists left and the police horses moved elegantly away.
I am amazed by the stupidity and ignorance of the left-wing extremists in this country. I feel compelled to point out a few things.
1. It’s not racist to hate Islam. We’re not talking about race, it’s a religion and ideology, fools.
2. To compare this to anti-semitism is ridiculous. The islamic threat is real, not imagined. Just watch the news every day for proof of that.
3. What Geert Wilders says about Islam is actually true. As somebody who has studied history and religion, I can tell you that his descriptions of Islam and Mohammed are spot on. He is only telling the truth.
4. Obviously most of these Extreme Left-Wingers don’t know anything about Islam. They are defending an oppressive, misogynistic, totalitarian ideology, while turning against their own countrymen. They obviously don’t believe in freedom of speech or equality or human-rights, because Islam does not tolerate those things.
What hope is there for this country when our own people are intent on committing cultural suicide?
My advice to Left-Wing Extremists? Read some books, learn some history. Learn the truth about Islam first, then see if you still want to defend it.
Well, of course you didn’t feel threatened…..you said they were your comrades.
I saw people being pushed over who had arrived to attend the speech.
It will be interesting to see how many of the same people would turn up to a mosque where an Islamic figure might preach similar racial hatred – against westerners. Would they have the balls to stop other Muslims arriving to listen?
What is it with the mainstream media – were they there or were they just stereotyping. I am equally pissed at the ABC for giving this clown an airing. The Jewish protester is right, Wilders’ rhetoric is exactly the same that that was used to demonise the Jews and it would seem that the reporting of anti Nazi rallies similarly. It is no longer on SBS but a Program ” Coppers” in a ” demonstration ” in Bolton was confronting. It was the attitude of the Police and their obvious stereotyping of the pro Muslim demonstrators reminded me of the way the police supported the Nazi Sympathisers marches on the East End of London led by Oswald Moseley.
Hard to reconcile “I never felt threatened. In fact, I felt a jovial spirit of solidarity emanating from the left-wing comrades.” with ““That’s racism. You’re a racist. You don’t want Muslims coming to this country,” shouted another. The bloke just stood there quietly.”.
I’m sure that the outside was only welcoming to whatever brand of crazy-lefties who were the majority out there, just as Hussein’s report on the inside showed it to be welcoming only to the brand of crazy-righties who were the majority in there.
An interesting and informative piece, thankyou Michelle for controlling yourself and not getting all shock horror on us. Unlike some I could mention ….