A group calling themselves 'Patriot Blue' has harassed Labor senator Sam Dastyari at Melbourne a pub in a racially-charged incident.
Labor senator Sam Dastyari has been racially heckled by a group of people calling themselves “patriots” and “working class” men at a Melbourne pub.
“You terrorist, you little monkey!” one of the men shouts at the Labor backbencher, after a camera is thrust in his face.
“Why don’t you go back to Iran, you terrorist,” he continues.
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Footage of the incident was posted on the Facebook page of the group, Patriot Blue, on Wednesday night. Senator Dastyari was at the pub ahead of an event promoting his book in Footscray.
He was accompanied by Labor MP Tim Watts, who is seen trying to intervene in the incident.
Senator Dastyari tries to order a drink at the bar as one of the men pushes the camera closer to his face.
“Have another drink mate, is it halal certified?” the man continues.
“Racist rednecks, you follow me everywhere I go,” Senator Dastyari replies.
“What race is Islam,” one of the men respond.
“Are you a Muslim, Sam? Are you a Muslim or what?” another says.
The men in the video say they are “working class” Australians who value free speech. They also heckle Senator Dastyari over links to Chinese donors which cost the Labor senator his frontbench job last year.
“Do you know what’s funny, we’re the real Australians,” one says.
“Look at this terrorist, why don’t you go back to Iran?’ the heckling continues.
Senator Dastyari tries to handle the situation with humour, laughing the comments off and walking away.
“I’m not going to bother with you guys, you’re embarrassing yourselves,” he responds.
“That was really impressive. You must be really proud of yourselves,” he adds jokingly in another retort later on.
“We are. Thanks for your sh*t comments,” one of the men respond.
A spokesman for Senator Dastyari told SBS World News while the Labor senator often travelled and received insults on the road, this was the first time he’d been hassled in such a public way.
On their website, 'Patriot Blue' claim to be a group of "concerned patriots" who are against the changing of Australia Day on January 26.
