By Olivia Ireland
Video has emerged showing LGBTQ protesters pleading with police to be escorted to safety as they are surrounded by hundreds of people outside a church where One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham was speaking in Sydney’s south-west.
About 15 members of the Community Action for Rainbow Rights group were outside St Michael’s Church in Belfield where Latham was holding an event on Tuesday night.
The event had been promoted by the church as a community forum on religious freedom and parental rights with Latham as the keynote speaker. The protesters said they were opposing the One Nation leader’s policies on the trans community.
Two people have since been charged by police.
In the footage, protesters call out “we are leaving” repeatedly to the group of hundreds.
As the group presses closer one man can be seen punching the head of a protester as police bring the Rainbow Rights protesters into a circle, telling them to “close your eyes”.
Members of Community Action for Rainbow Rights present at the protest spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they alleged they were being targeted by far-right groups.
One man said they had informed police they were planning a peaceful protest outside the church before the counter-protesters arrived.
“It just kept growing and growing and growing and I think there were others on the streets around and within the hall itself,” he said. “At first I was like ‘woah that’s pretty big, there’s like 50 of them there’ and then as we got closer they all ran out towards us – we realised it was a lot more than that,” he said.
“It was really shocking, I’ve been involved in a bunch of protests for LGTBI rights over the years ... but never something like this.
Speaking on Nine’s 2GB on Wednesday, Latham said he made his way to the church from the back because protesters were blocking Margaret Road, and was later told about the violence.
“The police informed me that out the front, there had been chaotic scenes – the equivalent of a riot – where some of the parishioners took exception to the fact that access to their church was going to be blocked by these transgender protesters, and they took matters into their own hands, which was wrong,” he said.
Latham also denounced the protest group for blocking the road and said in a democracy he should be allowed to speak “in a church hall to concerned parents”.
“I think blocking roads and access to church is definitely wrong in that setting,” he said. “People like myself, a politician running for elected office, should be allowed to make his speech without that kind of action.”
Another protester from the Rainbow Rights group said it was “a preposterous assertion” that Latham suggested they were blocking the road.
“As we were walking along, it became apparent that they were all there; we did not account for this kind of mobilisation,” she said.
“The purpose of [Latham’s] event was to actually ally himself openly with what he knows is a really dangerous, connected movement of people.”
Speaking on Wednesday at Campsie police station, Superintendent Sheridan Waldau addressed the media confirming “a violent confrontation occurred” about 7pm.
Waldau said a number of projectiles were thrown at police and members of the public, but that no one was seriously hurt as a result.
“We were able to push the protesters into a police vehicle and move them safely from the scene of the incident.”
“This type of violence is not to be tolerated by NSW Police, so we will commence an investigation into the incident. So far there have been two persons charged as a result of the incident and we are reviewing numerous amounts of footage.”
Police said officers from the Campsie Police Area Command were called to the church about 5pm and, when they arrived, a number of glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at them. The Public Order and Riot Squad and Operational Support Group joined to help to disperse the crowd.
A crowd surrounds a man who had been pushed to the ground.Credit: Nine
A male constable was allegedly struck by a projectile and his hand was injured. He was taken to Canterbury Hospital in a stable condition.
Police also said a 38-year-old man was pushed to the ground and assaulted.
Police said a 34-year-old man was arrested and taken to Campsie Police Station where he was charged with encouraging the commission of crimes.
He was given conditional bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court on April 11.
A 41-year-old man was arrested and charged with common assault. He is due to appear before Bankstown Local Court on May 30.
Independent member for Sydney Alex Greenwich said targeting the LGBTQ community during a state election is cruel and lazy politics and accused Latham of fuelling hate.
“Mark Latham is a disgusting human being and people who are considering voting for One Nation need to realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual who risks causing a great deal of damage to our state,” he said.
Greenwich said words and hate cause a great deal of damage, particularly when they’re targeted at vulnerable minority groups.
“It really is incumbent on political leaders to call this out and to show support for the LGBTIQ+ community,” he said.
Police urge anyone with information or mobile phone vision to contact Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.
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