Women’s Rights Sidelined After Neo-Nazis Hijack Event and Win National Media Attention

Police remove a protester during a transgender rights rally, involving opposing neo-Nazi protesters, outside Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on March 18, 2023. James Ross/AAP Image

The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) has thrown its support behind a women’s rights rally against transgender individuals in sports after it was hijacked by neo-Nazi protesters.

The group of protesters, which included less than 15 individuals, became the focus of national media coverage on the weekend, effectively shadowing ongoing concerns around biological men entering women’s spaces and sports.

In a post on Facebook entitled “Nazis Crash Women’s Rally,” the AJA said Victorian Police failed the “Let Women Speak” rally on March 18, which featured British women’s rights champion Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (also known as Posie Parker), as well as local women rights advocates.

The AJA condemned the actions of the neo-Nazi protesters and questioned the “odd” decision by police to allow the protesters into the rally.

The Jewish group posted a link to a video showing police in Melbourne holding back trans activists and a group of men marching and performing the Nazi salute.

“While the Victorian police held back the trans activists who arrived to disrupt the rally, they did not do the same to the Nazis,” the AJA said. “ Rather, they seemed to facilitate their entry to where the women’s rally was taking place on Parliament steps.

“This disruption caused the women’s rally to disperse early. Many are saying the police should have stopped the Nazis.”

The AJA noted they had been contacted by the women’s rally organisers and were aware that they had nothing to do with the Nazis.

“It is shameful that some politicians and media are now trying to smear this women’s movement with the false accusation of involvement with Nazis,” they said.

“AJA unreservedly condemns the Nazis who invaded the rally. These ugly thugs likely saw an opportunity to hijack the event for their own publicity.”

Pro-women protesters (left) and transgender rights protesters (right) gather outside Parliament House in Melbourne on March 18, 2023. AAP Image/James Ross

The Nazi protest has been condemned by the “Let Women Speak” organisers, including Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming, who took to Twitter to say she was disappointed in the state police.

“Disappointed with @VictoriaPolice, who let a bunch of masked men into the LWS buffer zone, terrifying women who were just trying to speak about their rights. Police managed to stop hordes of TRAs, but somehow could only walk masked men past us they did a horrible Nazi salute,” she said.

Deeming is facing a possible ousting from the Liberal Party for her participation.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) issues a statement declaring police hyperfocused on transactivists at the rally.

“MALS asserts that Victoria Police failed to consider or uphold any of its numerous obligations to prevent discriminatory or prejudice-motivated acts towards trans and gender-diverse people in its policing of the rallies on Saturday afternoon,” they said.

“In fact, MALS observed that the policing itself constituted biased and discriminatory actions on the part of Victoria Police.”

Arrests Made, Footage to Be Reviewed

The Epoch Times reached out to Victoria Police, but the agency preferred not to comment on the AJA’s complaints.

Instead, a spokesperson said the protest on Spring Street was attended by at least six groups and police had to take measures to ensure clashes did not occur.

“Some of these groups failed to engage with police in the lead-up to the protest or altered their plans without notice, resulting in the potential for multiple clashes between the opposing groups,” Victoria Police said in an email.

“Consequently, officers were required to form many lines between the different groups to protect the safety of all involved, stop breaches of the peace and prevent any physical violence.”

Police say three protesters had been arrested, including a 22-year-old Point Cook man for allegedly putting a female officer in a headlock and taking her to the ground, a 23-year-old Thornbury woman for allegedly slapping a police officer on the neck, and a third individual from Preston arrested for unlawful assault.

They also said that they would be reviewing “CCTV, body-worn camera and social media footage to determine whether any further offences occurred.”

Women’s Rights Ignored by Media and Political Parties

Meanwhile, Australian media and political parties have faced criticism over their response to the women’s rights rally.

Giggle founder Sall Grover and former Liberal Party candidate Katherine Deves said women’s voices were being silenced.

Grover said the only group that benefited from the media coverage was the trans activists.

She also called the Liberal Party’s move to expel the Victorian MP Deeming a betrayal of Victorian voters.

“‘Victorians everywhere should know that the Liberal Party is inclusive and can be a voice for them,’ says @LiberalVictoria as they expel a woman for knowing what a woman is, thereby silencing a voice for women,” she said.

Meanwhile, women’s rights advocate Deves criticised the Liberal Party for not supporting women.

“All we wanted to do was speak to our lived experience as women. Why are women being punished for this? Why are @victorianliberals not standing up for one of their own?” she wrote on Twitter.

The Victorian state government is now moving to ban the Nazi salute.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Victorian Liberal Party for comment.