Police use pepper spray to reclaim calm
Police were forced to use pepper spray when Reclaim Australia protestors clashed with anti-racism demonstrators in Melbourne.
PT0M39S 620 349- Protesters clash in Melbourne, police condemn violence
- Reclaim Australia group, protesters clash in Sydney
Anti-racism activists are planning an even larger Melbourne rally after seeing this weekend's protests against far-right nationalists overshadowed by violence.
The left-wing counter demonstrations on Spring Street on Saturday were aimed at stopping anti-Islam protesters from speaking out, but their message of tolerance appears to have been lost with four people arrested - one who is expected to be charged with assault.
A Victoria Police officer appears to high-five a protester. Photo: Meredith O'Shea
Further protests in Sydney on Sunday were also marred by violence, while tensions in Melbourne continued to simmer when an image of a Victoria Police officer was posted on social media, which appeared to show him giving an anti-Islam protester a high-five.
The image prompted outrage on socialists websites and praise on far-right blogs, enough for Victoria Police to respond with a statement saying too much was being read into the photograph. It said the image showed a "split second action in a dynamic environment".
"Speculation around the meaning of the interaction in such circumstances is both unfair and unfounded," the statement said.
Anti-racism protests were marred by violence. Photo: Ray Sparvell
Restore Australia's Mike Holt blamed clashes between police and protesters that led to more than a dozen being hosed down with capsicum spray on anti-racism demonstrators.
"It was only the socialists that were causing problems," he said.
The United Patriots Front also declared victory over the Melbourne event, posting on the group's Facebook page: "UPF Won Melbourne!! Left wing Lost and looked like fools! Love Australia!!"
Yarra councillor and anti-racism rally co-organiser Stephen Jolly blamed the ugly scenes on Labor and the Greens for failing to support the event and boosting numbers of attendees.
He said this allowed a small group of people, who were wearing masks and balaclavas, to take attention away from the hundreds who were there to peacefully take a stand against racism.
"If we don't want to see this again, all the major players on the progressive side of politics have to get involved," he said.
"They shouldn't be leaving it to people like me, with a handful of others, to try and run around and manage it the best we could."
He said a much bigger anti-racism rally is now in the works.
Mel Gregson, who co-organised Saturday's No Room For Racism rally, said the bigger rally will be held on a day when anti-Islam protesters are not around.
She said tensions had escalated when police helped anti-Islam protesters hold their own rally, which prevented her group from staging a sit-in to stop "racist bigots" and "Neo Nazis" from organising on the streets.
"The method of peaceful occupation of space is effective," she said. "But I guess the political climate now is much more heated."
Mr Holt denied any of the right-wing groups were affiliated with the Neo Nazis movement.
"We have nothing to do with the Nazis," he said. "We hate Nazism and Islamism. That's the point: we don't want extremism in any form."
Police had stressed prior to the event that everyone had a right to peacefully protest.
