A street performer is returning to Melbourne’s Federation Square this afternoon, despite being harassed by members of a far-right group during his show on Sunday.
Award-winning comedian Daniel Oldaker, known as Dandyman, was performing in a pink wrestling-style leotard when he was confronted by the men, identified as Blair Cottrell and other members of nationalist group United Patriots Front.
The video shows Cottrell aggressively approaching the performer and shouting, “You’re not welcome here, there’s kids here. What are you doing? Are you a pedophile?”
Cottrell repeatedly wrongly refers to the leotard as a g-string.
Oldaker shouts for help from the police before telling Cottrell, “I’m doing a show, you idiots.”
A woman intervenes, distracting Cottrell and scolding him for behaving violently, while Oldaker runs to fetch nearby police officers.
Cottrell turns on members of the public who are defending Oldaker, and another man is heard saying “communist faggots”.
“I am a fascist, what are you going to do about it?” demands one of the Patriots off camera.
Cottrell asks a police officer whether Oldaker is committing “indecent exposure in front of children”, and is told no—and in fact that the performance is approved by the city council.
Cottrell and the other group members chant “pedophile” and “you’re not welcome” as Oldaker dresses and leaves.
Responses to the video on Facebook have been mixed, with some agreeing that Oldaker’s leotard somehow represented a threat to children, and others calling the group “bullies” and “wankers”.
Some people have since posted abusive messages to Oldaker’s own Facebook page.
Despite the incident, Oldaker has returned to Federation Square this afternoon to perform his physical comedy show again.
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Its time the Victorian government finally did something about these serials pests and harassers
The oldest story in the book. Frightened little mens who have real issues with their own sexualities. Massively insecure and afraid of their own inner workings, they project their gear and rage out onto others and then, from afar, safely attack the thing that is themselves.
Nevermind the trope of “inappropriate clothing” as an excuse to attack others. Get yourself to a therapist, Cottrell. You, ARE the problem.
Clementine Ford sums it up perfectly:
https://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/blair-cottrell-and-the-problem-of-male-aggression-20180626-p4znw3.html