Australian premier slams neo-Nazis at Posie Parker event, tells trans citizens: ‘Our government will always support you’
Victoria’s premier has spoken out against the neo-Nazi presence at an anti-trans rally. (9News Melbourne/grab by PinkNews)
Dan Andrews, premier of the Australian state of Victoria, has released a statement on social media expressing support for trans Victorians and denouncing neo-Nazis.
Andrews has spoken out following a chaotic ‘Let Women Speak’ event from transphobic British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, which was attended by around 400 anti-trans demonstrators and 30 members of the far-right National Socialist Movement (NSM).
Neo-Nazi NSM members showed up in support of ‘Let Women Speak’ and Keen-Minshull, and proceeded to shout slurs at LGBTQ+ protesters, chant “white power” and perform Nazi salutes on the steps of the Victoria parliament.
Dressed in black, with some wearing balaclava-style face coverings, they held a banner emblazoned with the slogan “destroy paedo freaks”.
In a Facebook post shared on Saturday (18 March), Andrews wrote: “I won’t share a photo because they simply don’t deserve the attention. But yesterday, anti-trans activists gathered to spread hate. And on the steps of our parliament, some of them performed a Nazi salute.
“I wish it didn’t have to be said, but clearly it does: Nazis aren’t welcome. Not on parliament’s steps. Not anywhere.”
Andrews continued: “They were there to say the trans community don’t deserve rights, safety or dignity. That’s what Nazis do. Their evil ideology is to scapegoat minorities – and it’s got no place here. And those who stand with them don’t, either.”
His post ended with a message of support for trans people in the Australian state.
“So to every trans Victorian, I say this: Our government will always support you. And we’ll always respect you. Because your rights are not negotiable.”
Victoria’s leader of the opposition, John Pesutto, has confirmed that he is moving to expel a Liberal MP who spoke at the anti-trans rally from the parliamentary party, The Canberra Times reported.
After promoting and participating in the ‘Let Women Speak’ event, Pesutto called Moria Deeming’s position “untenable”.
His statement described the rally as featuring “speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”.
Pesutto said: “This is not an issue about free speech but a member of the parliamentary party associating with people whose views are abhorrent to my values, the values of the Liberal Party and the wider community.”
Pesutto went on to describe the neo-Nazi presence at Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s event as an “abomination”.
“The violence, prejudice and hate that these protesters conveyed by their odious actions will never be acceptable in our state. I condemn them and commit to opposing such hate wherever it may exist.”
Moira Deeming posted on Twitter that she was “disappointed” with Victoria Police for letting “a bunch of masked men into the LWS buffer zone, terrifying women who were just trying to speak about their rights”.
Deeming was elected as MP for the Western Metropolitan region in 2022, and her first speech featured an attack on measures to include trans women in sports and changing rooms.
9News Melbourne reported that the Victorian government will consider banning the Nazi salute after the events at Saturday’s anti-trans event.
Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull told PinkNews that none of the neo-Nazis pictured at the ‘Let Women Speak’ event were actually at the rally.
“No men dressed in black block who gave Nazi salutes were at the Let Women Speak rally.
“Standing For Women campaigns for rights of women and the safeguarding of children. Nazis are abhorrent, no right minded person sides with Nazis, they have absolutely nothing to do with Let Women Speak.
“It’s a real shame, although not surprising, that the focus of our amazing rally with courageous and articulate women has been sidelined by the media who are focussing on what men, who weren’t even at our rally, had to say and do.”
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