Key Points
- Two men have been arrested and charged following violent protests outside a church in Belfield.
- The incident took place outside a church where NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham was scheduled to speak.
- Police said a number of glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at police.
Violence has marred the NSW election campaign trail with the riot squad being called in after an out-of-control clash between protest groups on a Sydney street.
Two people were charged after the protest outside a church in Sydney’s southwest, where NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham was scheduled to give a speech ahead of Saturday’s election.
Police say the riot squad and operational support officers were called in to disperse the crowd, which had gathered outside St Michael’s Church in Belfield at about 5pm on Tuesday.
LGBTIQ+ activists Community Action for Rainbow Rights were protesting what they expected to be an “anti-trans” speech but were quickly outnumbered by hundreds of counter-protesters from Christian Lives Matter.
Officers arrived to find about 500 people clashing in violent scuffles.
“A number of glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at police,” police said in a statement.
Footage showed police offerings shielding LGBTIQ+ activists from an angry mob of mostly men, who shouted homophobic slurs and also described the protesters as “dogs”. Another video posted on social media appeared to show counter-protesters telling LGBTIQ+ activists to “f**k off back to Newtown”.
A glass bottle struck a male constable who was taken to Canterbury Hospital in a stable condition with an injured hand, while a 38-year-old man was pushed to the ground and assaulted.
The One Nation leader later tweeted about the clash, saying he had been invited to talk at an election public meeting about parental rights and proceeded with his speech.
“I didn’t see what happened on the front street but I sincerely convey my best wishes to those injured and thank the police officers involved for their work,” he said.
“A politician running for elected office should be allowed to make his speech without that kind of action,” he told Sydney radio 2GB on Wednesday.
“They can protest on the footpath but not blocking roads and actually blocking access to the church,” he said.
“No one should take the law into their own hands. Violence at political events is wrong,” he tweeted.
Mr Latham and LGBTIQ+ activists have long clashed over gender issues with the One Nation state leader wanting legislation banning discussion of gender diversity in classrooms.
A “Parental Rights” bill he once proposed would have banned teachers from discussing “the ideology of gender fluidity to children in schools” and prevented schools from supporting transgender students without parental consent.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns described the violence as unfortunate.
“I would love to see a campaign where there are no scenes, where people can get the views out to the people of NSW to make their calls,” he said on Nine’s Today show.
Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich – who is the only openly gay member of the lower house – commented that “words and hate can lead to violence”.
“This election we have seen a small but loud group of cruel and lazy politicians target the LGBTQIA+ community for attention,” he tweeted.
“They are a disgrace and all major party political leaders should call it out and condemn it.”
Greens MP Jenny Leong said violence was “never okay – not on peaceful protesters – not on anyone”.
“One Nation representatives and the discriminatory views they spew out have a toxic influence on our society,” she tweeted.
A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with encouraging the commission of crimes and given conditional bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court on 11 April.
A 41-year-old man was charged with common assault and given an attendance notice to appear before Bankstown Local Court on 30 May.
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