The organiser of a rally calling for charges against SAS veteran Ben Roberts-Smith to be dropped has threatened that 'there will be violence' if governments don't change and begin 'helping the people'. Chaos unfolded outside Victoria's Parliament House on Sunday as the 300-strong rally in support of the nation's most decorated war veteran, which was organised by the far-right National Workers Alliance, clashed with a smaller rival protest.
The two groups were separated by two lines of about a hundred ready-to-go riot cops, backed by the Mounted Police Branch and other support units. The protests brought busy Melbourne thoroughfares and trams to a grinding halt. Victoria Cross recipient Roberts-Smith has been charged with five war crime murder offences over alleged actions during his military tours in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
The bigger rally was demanding the charges against the former SAS corporal be dropped, but the 47-year-old said he and his family had nothing to do with the rally or its organisers. National Workers Alliance leader Matt Trihey made baseless claims that members of Roberts-Smith's family would attend the rally and would march at the front.
'Mr Roberts-Smith and his family are not involved in any way in this rally, nor associated with its organisers,' a spokesperson told the Daily Mail. 'As far as he's aware, no member of Ben's immediate or extended family has ever spoken to the organisers of this event.' Pro-BRS protesters marched through Melbourne's CBD on Sunday. Ben Roberts-Smith said neither he nor any of his family had anything to do with the rally or its organisers. National Workers Alliance leader Matt Trihey had organised the rally.
The demonstration began with a rendition of Waltzing Matilda, before Trihey urged authorities to withdraw the charges and voiced support for other Australian soldiers hit with war crimes allegations. The National Workers Alliance's publicly stated goals include a moratorium on all immigration and the 'preservation of Western culture and identity'.
'Melbourne is a great city and Australia is the best country in the world... Liberal democracy is a cancer,' Trihey said. 'We are here for the veterans who are having their legacy, their honour and their integrity questioned by what is an illegitimate government that is acting against the will of the people.'
The group later observed a minute's silence and played the Last Post which was interrupted by the counter protest, an anti-racism rally, chanting 'always was always will be' and 'no Nazis'. At one point, masked men, including a person with a swastika tattoo, stormed towards the other group, which sparked riot police to rush and split the parties.
The Daily Mail witnessed a group of neo-Nazis, identifiable by tattoos and other insignia in amongst the pro-BRS supporters, who were mostly peaceful. There were a scattering of red ensign flags, but many were draped in Australian flags while some young men wore them as bandannas. Victoria Police were forced to form a cordon between pro-BRS supporters and the smaller group of counter-protesters.
Among the crowd was former Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick from the newly formed Fight Back Against Racism Party who chanted 'fight back against racism, fight back against Nazi scum'. Pockets of pro-Palestine and Indigenous rights protesters also heckled from distances. Victoria Police were forced to form a cordon between pro-BRS supporters and members of the newly formed political party which has yet to be officially registered.
The party had set up earlier in the morning before the pro-BRS rally which was set to commence at 12pm. Police moved the anti-racism group further away from the parliamentary steps, allowing the pro-Roberts-Smith rally to continue. Quick-moving cops also intervened after pro-Palestine and Indigenous rights hecklers sparked a scuffle between opposing protesters.
The pro-BRS rally played a selection of music including iconic Redgum song 'I was only 19', a song about a young Australian soldier's experience fighting in Vietnam. After some words calling for Roberts-Smith to be exonerated and warning people who never went to war to keep quiet, the march kicked off with AC/DC blasting throughout Melbourne's CBD.
The group proceeded down Bourke Street, along Swanston but police diverted the rally up Collins Street to the sound of AC/DC's Highway to Hell. Trihey had earlier said they would march to the Flinders Street Station intersection but police ordered him not to do so. Pockets of left-wing agitators heckled the marchers but scuffle spot fires were narrowly avoided.
Cops were, however, forced to intervene and quash multiple scuffles when the rally returned to parliament. A pro-Palestine protester was grabbed by a young man in an aggressive manner after they heckled pro-BRS supporters. Police pinned the man against a building while other officers surrounded the group of pro-Palestine protesters. Right-wingers called the counter-protesters 'cucks' and told them to 'go live in Palestine'.
Trihey, who lambasted critics of people who booed Welcome to Country ceremonies at Saturday's Anzac Day event, addressed the crowd a second time. This time he warned 'there will be violence' if governments 'don't change and help the people'. He warned of unrest if they fail to change course and address the needs of the majority before the protest wound up in the early afternoon.
Police maintained a heavy presence until the crowd dispersed a few hours later. A Victoria Police spokesperson said no arrests were made. 'Police are aware of two counter demonstrations which occurred in the city about 12pm on April 26,' the spokesperson said. 'In total about 330 people were in attendance. There were no arrests or other issues identified.'
Roberts-Smith was just days ago released on bail after he was arrested at Sydney's Domestic Airport on April 7. He spent 10 days in custody and last Sunday, he made his first public statement where he reiterated his denials of the allegations and insisted he had acted within the rules of engagement at all times. He attended an Anzac Day memorial on Saturday and has yet to enter pleas to any of the charges. 'I deny these allegations and have always done so,' he said in a statement.
