Clashes erupted between rival protest groups after LGBT+ activists blocked a church venue where One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham was to deliver an allegedly “anti-trans” speech.
Around 15 LGBT+ protestors, organised by the Community Action for Rainbow Rights, waited outside St. Michael’s Church Belfield in Sydney’s multicultural western region on the evening of March 21.
Soon hundreds of individuals confronted the group, which also allegedly included members of the Christian Lives Matter movement, resulting in scuffles and two individuals being arrested.
One Nation’s Latham condemned the violence but also said what the LGBT+ protestors did was wrong.
“They were going to block [the entrance] and deny access to the front entry to the church,” Latham told 2GB radio, saying police told his assistant to park around the back instead.
“I was greeted by mainly mothers and grandmothers who wanted to hear about school education, parental rights, and all the issues I’ve been raising during the election campaign,” he said.
The One Nation New South Wales (NSW) leader has been a vocal critic of the state’s education system, exposing young students to issues like gender fluidity and transgenderism.
“The police informed me that out the front there'd been chaotic scenes—the equivalent of a riot—where some of the parishioners took exception to the fact that access to their church was going to be blocked by these transgender protesters and they took matters into their own hands, which was wrong,” he said.
“I think blocking roads and access to the church is definitely wrong. In that setting, people like myself—a politician running for elected office—should be allowed to make his speech,” he added.
Latham said police suggested he cancel the speech, but he refused to, saying it would mean the LGBT protestors had successfully cancelled his “free speech and democratic rights.”
In a message to churchgoers, Latham said that while they may be offended by the actions of the LGBT+ activists, they should: “Keep your hands to yourself. Don’t be violent, allow the police to do their work, come into the hall, listen to the speeches, go away and make up your own mind on who you vote for.”
The right-wing One Nation is tracking strongly in several seats in the multicultural, religious, and largely blue-collar electorates of western Sydney.
Response to the Incident
The Community Action for Rainbow Rights claimed “far right” protestors charged out of the church and surrounded the protestors while pelting them with rocks, bottles, and physically assaulting them.“It shows that the far right are a serious violent threat in Sydney right now and that we all need to stand together and protect each other.”
Police say a riot squad was deployed to disperse the crowd, which numbered in the hundreds.
“We expect further charges to be laid today against a number of other offenders,” Superintendent Sheridan Waldau told reporters.
“We believe the people who were involved in the violent confrontation were attending the event that was to be held at the church hall.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet labelled the violence “disgraceful,” saying it was an aberration in an election that had been run in “great spirit.”
“There is no place for violence in our state ... particularly during election periods,” he told reporters.
People Of Faith Banding Together
Meanwhile, Christian Lives Matter founder Charlie Bakhos said he had organised a group to pray at the event, but the counter-protestors were actually a different group.“Last night showed that this is much bigger than Christian Lives Matter. More than 80 percent of people I’ve never seen, and some people came to pray, and others came to protect the church.
“There were Muslims, non-believers, and Christians who came together.”
