Two men have been arrested and riot police were deployed after LGBTQIA+ protesters and police were attacked in Sydney’s southwest outside a Christian Lives Matter-promoted event featuring One Nation MP Mark Latham.
This comes after Christian Lives Matter group members had foreshadowed violence with protesters in the lead-up to the event, and in its aftermath have defended the attack.
A small group of activists from the Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) said they were punched and pelted with glass bottles and rocks while protesting a preelection community meeting hosting One Nation MP Mark Latham at St Michael’s Church Hall in Belfield last night.
“Several people were punched in the face multiple times and hit with rocks and bottles as they were surrounded by a mob 30 times their size,” they said in a message posted on Facebook later.
A CARR protest participant, who asked not to be named due to fears for their safety, said that a group of 15 protesters were speaking to police a block away from the church when they saw people running towards them.
“We saw a bunch of them running around the corner with their phones. There were 50 to 80 people running towards us. I’ve been to protests before but never at one where I felt genuinely afraid for my life,” they told Crikey.
They said that members of the group were able to break through a line of police to punch them in the head. People threw glass bottles and rocks while protesters waited for police vans to safely transfer them away. When police dropped them off two blocks away, they said people followed them in cars, yelling at them to “go back to Newtown” and “never come back to Belfield”, forcing the police to pick them up again.
NSW Police alleged glass bottles and projectiles were thrown at them from an assembled group of 500 people outside of the church.
A statement released by police said a male police officer has suffered an injury to his hand from a projectile and that a 38-year-old man was assaulted. Two men, aged 34 and 41, were arrested and charged with encouraging the commission of crimes and assault, respectively.
The Mark Latham event and a public rosary prayer held outside prior to the meeting were promoted by Christian Lives Matter, an online conservative religious group that has been involved in campaigns against LGBTQIA+ figures and causes in Sydney.
The purpose of Latham’s event was to discuss One Nation’s “parental rights and religious freedom” policies, which include a suite of anti-trans rights policies.
Prior to the event, Latham criticised “LGBTQ protesters” for “rainbow fascism” on Twitter, claiming that the small group blocked access to the church. Latham later condemned violence while speaking during the event and in tweets published after the event.
A live-streamed video of group leader Charlie Bakhos speaking on his @christianlivesmatter_ Instagram account was interrupted as members of the crowd left to go to the confrontation with CARR protesters. The video was subsequently deleted.
Footage shows crowd members pushing independent streamer Chriscoveries to the ground and surrounding him. A voice is overheard: “They just bashed some little guy with a camera.” Chriscoveries told Crikey that his phone was smashed and that he was shaken but uninjured.
“The guy that saved me I’ve seen. He had told me off at past CLMish [Christian Lives Matter-ish] rallies. Last night he saved me. They took the blows while the pepper spray rained down on us all,” he said.
Over the weekend, members of group chats organised by Christian Lives Matter promoted the event and then reacted to CARR’s announcement that they intended to protest outside of the event.
A forwarded message in the group first promoted the event as an opportunity to “stand in defence against the continuous attacks by the fanatical and leftist LGBT and media movement who continue to twist the truth and fabricate lies”.
When CARR’s Facebook post about their protest was shared in the group, one person said, “They are knocking on our doors if they come down. We won’t let them!! To [sic] close to home!!”
Another Christian Lives Matter member, Christian Sukkar, posted a video on Monday telling other attendees to “go there tomorrow and you fucking shake them up and you drag them by their fucking head and you remove them from St Michael’s Field. Time to rise. Time to let them know where we stand.”
After the event, one of the Christian Lives Matter organisers, Charlie Taouk, voiced a message of frustration on a Nine news television report of the violence.
“Look at the way we look. This is not on [at] all,” he said to the group.
“This is not what we are standing for. I don’t care if they pedophiles [sic] or gay or even a tree, we can’t be violent it’s only hurting us and making them look like victims.”
Despite this condemnation from a group leader and other members, others pushed back. Multiple members claimed it was staged, whereas others defended the violence.
“They’re rocking up in your back yard and when your Christian brothers pushed back ONE TIME you turn on them? … Fight for your kids [with] ANY means necessary,” one person wrote back.
“Tonight was not meant to happen … But what must and should be addressed is that this is what a leftist government has pushed the people too [sic]. It’s like if you back a dog into a corner sooner or later it will bite,” they messaged.
“Tonight was a glimpse into what will happen if the leftist govt take away parents rights over raising their [sic] children.”
They use protection of children as a cloak to justify their kick-down attacks against LGBTIQ people who do not affect their day to day lives, whatsoever?! Who do othese people think they are!?
These right- wing nasties may be resentful because they are facing economic insecurity and or hardship but if they have a basic understanding of how the economy works in a so-called capitalist democracy (which it appears they don’t), one would hope they would direct their resentment to rigged economic systems that allow the wealthy to socialise their losses and concentrate their wealth at theirs and others expense. Instead, they vote for right wing parties and read right wing tabloid media who act against their own interests and distract them by saying, go there and vent your frustrations at LGBTIQ people and other minorities as part of a hood-winking dirty culture war. There is no limit to the stupidity and nastiness of these people.
The class analysis is very important, but there is also the 2000 year history of christian oppression and murder of women and lgbtiq.
The class analysis is the most pertinent aspect at this point.
In a civilised society, a civilised government would crack down on bigotry in no uncertain terms, and, you know, actually lead instead of dog whistling.
But it totally suits the neoliberal ruling class to sic these fools onto vulnerable minorities, so no moral leadership from that quarter.
Speaking of which, isn’t it cute when these whackjobs claim a monopoly on morality…
“But what about the kids?” was the same tired argument they used against same-sex marriage.
It is pure wedge politics used to distract people from the issues that really matter.
They used that against us in New Zealand in 1985; claiming Homosexual Law Reform would allow Gay men to openly approach 12 year-olds. The rhetoric is word-for-word the same.
Mostly Lebanese “Christians” who seriously look and dress like gang members, and behave like them. This won’t do them any favours. They’re just religious fascist thugs who wouldn’t look out of place in an outlaw motorcycle gang.
They are in fact Phalangist Fascists!
They perhaps could be Phalangists but I think they have moved on. Phalangism was a feature of Lebanese politics from the 1940s to 1990s. I don’t think it has the same force it once did. For example, it is one of the luckiest I would say, features of Australian life that there have been few open street clashes between hard line, fundamentalist Muslims and these Lebanese Phalangist Christians who came here in drove in the 1970s and 80s. I would call them disgruntled Christians who, instead of starting a communal war with those of the Islamic faith, which would be self-defeating for everyone, prefer to beat up on even more marginalised people – trans people and their advocates.
They certainly look like OMC criminals and behave like them. I can’t believe they are Christians. I can only believe that they are not gay or trans, that’s all. I would find it hard to imagine a Maronite priest telling them to go and attack trans people. I think that religion has been politicised.
I think that religion has been politicised.
So true. look at what has happened in the US with the Talibangenicals and their support for Trump and other RWRNJ.
Then here in Australia with Smirko and His Brethren in the Lying Nasty Party in the desperate attempts to enlist the RWRNJ in it “defence” of so called “religious freedom”
Sure. But the Left has forgotten it’s fight is fundamentally rooted in class distinctions and economics. It’s become too focused on other issues while still buying into the same failed neoliberal economic ideas. Until the Left returns to fighting for economic justice there is no alternative so these people will keep getting angry and keep falling for populists.
Have to agree. The Left is different now and is now beholden to 3rd World materially better off academics and intellectuals. And these people will never subscribe to left wing ideology as they are independent tradesmen or contractors. Quite frankly poor tradies, employees or workers don’t have the time or the inclination to busy themselves with right wing politics or religion unless they are roped into it which is always a possibility.
They are not facing economic insecurity or hardship. Many of them are self employed tradie, salt of the earth types. They may be quite well off and they have their own community to trade with. I dispute that they are facing hardship. Many of them drive Mercedes or expensive FWDs or SUVs, usually black in colour although I know black is not a colour. They buy Rolexes, go on overseas trips and when they go to Lebanon, don’t have to pay as they stay with family – extended and all. They wear the best designer clothes, shoes, colognes, get expensive haircuts, go to good restaurants (they all eat well), buy expensive bags (Dior for example) for their female partners. If that is the case well done. They are certainly materialistic despite their protestations about their spirituality. It is not spirituality in their religion they are proclaiming and their religion is defined more as something in opposition to others. They are not Muslims for example. Though they are oddly on a unity ticket with them in theory at least. They are not born here or of here. They see Australian culture as alien. Despite the safety of their bank deposits. They value material things but don’t value the immaterial things about Australia like our freedom, our tolerance, our culture, our laws, our media, our history, our education. Yet these very things have allowed many of them to live well here. I dispute they are facing hardship as they are tradies who are always in demand these days. Keating tried to kill them off in the 90s but failed. They are hostage to the property industry as there is no productive manufacturing industry to work in. They are hate filled and ideologically focused. They are Right wing more by accident than by traditional design. They are not what I would call working fascists of the NewsLimited kind or the BCA or ACCI and other lobby industry groups who hate wage rises or White supremacists. They are culturally that way – fascist. Their religion was under some sort of attack in Lebanon in the 1970s and 80s and they feel the same here with poor trans people. Strange. I really thought these people were made of sterner stuff.
Ditto US and UK, similar directly involved are quite well off and retired middle class, often claiming to be ‘working class’, but the supposed issues, tropes, memes and talking points are shared by different groups and broader society of right &/or (faux) socially conservative leaning citizens; the latter are more the audience of this free media content?
Karen you are absolutely spot on! We need more Karens in the world!!!
Before anyone says this doesn’t represent real Christians, when the Church still had real power they drove Alan Turing to suicide. If they can do that to Alan Turing they can do it to anyone, which is why we need to keep Christo-fascists out of mainstream politics.
Absolutely criminal what happened to that great man, especially after being so instrumental in ending the war in Europe.
And they forced him to take suppressing puberty blockers – the same drugs being celebrated as a ‘cure’ for identity issues in children.
Turing? He was born before WWI.
Yep. The puberty blockers were used as chemical castration. Remember, it was a horrible crime to be gay at that time. It was bad enough in my youth. It was illegal and if you were discovered you were shamed and you lost your job and were lucky to stay out of prison.
Thanks for the clarification. I read the comment as a reference to Turing’s youth.
Who calls it a “cure” ?
And homosexuality was illegal and they were not trying to influence his gender identity
As far as I am concerned LE, this behavior represents the very embodiment of not only Christianity but of all religions.
Have to agree.
Couldn’t you just see Christ attended this event and kicking in a few skulls? No, me neither.
Why do most “Christians” always seem to act not very “Christian”?
Because they don’t actually read the New Testament, or they read it selectively, (“It’s booorrrring, mate! Can’t we just bash poofs?”), or they just listen to other people’s interpretations of it, very specific interpretations with a political agenda. You can say the same for the Quran.
And there’s a possibility that he was more than a bit gay. I mean; never married, hung around with his entourage of twelve men and rode an ass on his way to Jerusalem.
Maybe also a bit pedo??…………….
“Suffer the little children etc….”
You do realise that this old usage of ‘suffer‘ meant allow?
If not, you shouldn’t be commenting on adult matters.
These aren’t “most” Christians. Most Christians are like me – very angry that religion is being used as an excuse to commit hateful and violent acts.
‘Hateful and violent acts’ sums up the history of Christianity. And being ‘very angry’ is helpful how?
Adding some ice to the holy water at your local would be more helpful.
Anger is a normal human emotion. Working through it productively is the helpful thing to do. Then we are ready to consider what we can do next that will be most appropriate for the circumstances.
Working through anger productively? Sounds like doing nothing to me. Censorship prohibits me from saying what should be done.
People have been asking that question for 2000 years.
These are not the actions of the real Christians whom I know
Because you haven’t defined Christianity correctly. You are seeing Christianity through idealistic rose-coloured glasses. It is always about power and fighting enemies and protecting their material interests like property from class action against child abuse victims.
This is just the anti-vaxxers mob’s latest cause. They don’t have vaccines and restrictions to protest against anymore so they’ve turned their attention to LGBTIQ people and so-called parents rights in order to stay in the news. Vile, just vile.
Ain’t no love like Christian love
That neglects the very ideals of Christian love
They all need a dose of Jesus on this matter, they forget/neglect the parable of the good Samaritan (a complete outsider to the religious mainstream and local culture who helps because it’s merciful and loving)
This lot need arresting, they aren’t defending anybody just excusing their thuggery
I remember hearing an interpretation of The Good Samaritan. The Samaritan, often shunned due to the reasons you state, helps someone who has been beaten and left defenceless. But it’s not the good works of the Samaritan that should be looked at, without also looking at the complete avoidance of the local man by not only his fellow local people, but their own priests who looked at the injured man and moved on in disgust instead of showing compassion and offering help. Says a great deal, really.
They all have a dose of Jesus on this matter!! Too much. They need to take less of Jesus and more humanity. Fat chance.
It makes ‘tough love’ look quite benign in comparison.