(News Article direct from ABC News on 20 February 2013.)
Dutch conservative politician Geert Wilders. |
The
demonstrators took guests' tickets and pushed them to the ground. "What are you doing? This is a democratic
society. We're allowed to go in there," one guest told the protesters.
Mounted police then moved in, forming a line to try to stop the scuffles.
"We do not want this to be an issue of confrontation and
we ask you to accept the rights of all the other members of the
community," one policeman said. "If you do not move aside, we will be using force."
Most of
the protesters, who chanted "racism,
no way, we're going to fight it all the way", then moved on.
Mounted police line facing the Socialist and Muslims. |
"There are actually people in here with bloody noses and
these are all the demonstrators who are just peacefully trying to raise awareness
of the fact that we oppose Islamophobia and all the things that Geert Wilders
and the people who come to Geert Wilders' event preach."
The
far-right politician's Australian speaking tour has been sponsored by a group
called the Q Society, which is against multiculturalism. Andrew Horwood from
the Q Society blamed political correctness for the trouble.
"I think it's very sad that we've got to this stage with
the cloak of political correctness that's descended on this land," he said. "That
it's hard for an organisation like this, a group of volunteers, to get places
where we can freely speak and discuss something that concerns the future of
this country."
Victoria police charging the Socialist protesters. |
"I'm also here to warn Australia about the true nature
of Islam," he said. "It's not just a religion, as so many people
mistakenly think. It's primarily a dangerous and totalitarian ideology. And I'm
also here to warn you what is happening in my native country, the Netherlands,
that that might soon happen in Australia too if you fail to be vigilant."