Wearing a mask while protesting may soon be illegal following violent brawl
POLICE are poised to make it illegal to attend demonstrations wearing masks after officers were forced to fight off faceless thugs at a bloody weekend brawl.
Assistant Commissioner North West Metro Stephen Leane said authorities were working to identify those involved in the street fight between anti-fascist group Antifa Australia and right wing protestors outside a Halal exhibition at the Melbourne Showgrounds yesterday.
Mr Leane said a clamp on masks would be a point of discussion with the State Government.
“(Wearing masks in public) is legal and there is not much we can do about it at the moment but we’ll be looking to have a conversation with government about how much longer that can continue,” he told 3AW.
“It has to be fairly defined, you would have to have some reasonable excuse as to why you are wearing a mask, certainly if it’s a rally or a demonstration - we even see it at A-League matches - obviously these people are trying to protect their identity.”
He said police had been patient with the far right protestors yesterday until the fracas unfolded. “The other group approached without notice. They just jumped off the tram, caused a lot of trouble with their masks on then disappeared as quickly as they came.”