NSW Police Charge Two Men Over Attack On LGBT Activists In Sydney, More Arrests Likely

Two men were charged after a far-right mob, some wearing Christian Lives Matter T-shirts, attacked LGBTQI activists who were holding a peaceful protest near a church in Southwest Sydney, where One Nation MLC Mark Latham was due to give a speech on Tuesday evening. 

Trigger Warning: This story has details and visuals of an attack on LGBTQI activists, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Community Action for Rainbow Rights said that the LGBTQI activists were targeted by the mob, “who punched (them) in the face multiple times and hit with rocks and bottles. In a video of the attack, as the crowd of men clad in black surrounded them, the LGBTQI activists could be heard pleading with the police to get them out of there. 

One police officer was hit in the head with a bottle and had to be taken to the hospital. A cameraperson who was filming the crowd was also shoved and slammed to the ground by the men.

“Two men, aged 34 and 41, were arrested,” an NSW Police spokesperson said. 

NSW police superintendent Sheridan Waldau said that the officers were reviewing video footage of the incident and more arrests are expected. 

Out gay Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich condemned the violence. “Words and hate can lead to violence. This election we have seen a small but loud group of cruel and lazy politicians target the LGBTQIA+ community for attention. They are a disgrace and all major party political leaders should call it out and condemn it,” Greenwich posted on social media.

Peaceful Protesters Attacked By Far-Right Mob

Mark Latham MLC was the Keynote Speaker at the ‘Community Forum on Religious Freedom and Parental Rights’ organised by St Michael’s Catholic Church in Belfield, in southwest Sydney on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Around 10 to 15 CARA activists organised a small peaceful protest a block away from the church on Margaret Street. 

“A group of protesters of about 10 people were within the vicinity of Margaret Street, further along the street from where the church was, when a mob of about 250 people from the event rushed down the street,” Waldau told media persons at a press conference on Wednesday morning.

“Police were present on the scene and were able to stand between the protesters and the mob of people. A number of projectiles were thrown at the police and at the members of the public.”

Violent Confrontation, Says NSW Police

The police at the scene requested backup and the Public Order and Riot Squad and Operational Support Group arrived to control the rioters. 

“We were able to push the mob back. We were able to push the protesters into a police vehicle and remove them safely from the scene of the incident,” said the police superintendent. 

NSW Police said that it took them around 30 minutes to get the incident under control and push the violent mob back into the church grounds. 

“This was a very violent confrontation that occurred at an event which was supposed to be a peaceful protest… this incident will not be tolerated. This type of violence is not to be tolerated by New South Wales Police,” said Waldau. We’ve commenced an investigation into the incident… We are reviewing numerous amounts of footage and we expect further charges to be laid today against a number of other offenders.”

LGBTQI Community Targeted In Sydney

Tuesday’s violent attack follows other incidents in Sydney of far-right Christian men targeting the LGBTQI community in the past three months. 

In February 2023, unidentified men defaced a WorldPride mural outside Wynyard station and vandalised the Rainbow stairs outside Pitt Street Uniting Church. 

Ahead of the WorldPride march, around 30 Christian men led an “unauthorised protest” in the Newtown gaybourhood, in Sydney, loudly chanting the Lord’s Prayer and intimidating passersby. 

Days later a ‘Men’s Rosary Crusade’ was organised outside St Mary’s Cathedral.  Charlie Bakhos, who runs the Facebook group Christian Lives Matter, posted videos of the incidents on social media. On March 18, a man wearing a Christian Lives Matter T-shirt rushed to the stage where LGBTQI activists were holding a counter-protest in Sydney’s Hyde Park and gave the Nazi salute. 

Before Tuesday’s event a video was posted online by Christian Sukkar calling for attacks on LGBTQI protesters. 

Police Say Violence Took Them By Surprise

NSW Police said they had no indication that there would be violence at the event and they had accordingly deputed officers at Belfield. 

​​”There was no indication that this was going to be a violent event at all,” said Waldau. 

“We had sufficient resources for the information that had been gathered. We had worked with the event organisers and we worked with the protesters. It was only a very small group of protesters, and the church had also spoken to their congregation and the people attending to ensure that no violence would occur. So what happened is very disappointing,” she said. Waldau added that police had no information of any further follow on attacks.

One Nation MLC Latham revealed that the police had requested that he not speak at the event, but he had ignored that advice. “To not give my speech, to go straight home would have allowed the transgender protesters to cancel my free speech and democratic rights as an election candidate,” Latham posted on Twitter. While h condemned the violence on Tuesday nigh, on Wednesday morning he told his followers that it was a “set up”, despite the police saying that it was the men who had gathered to attend his event had unleashed the violence.

Community Calls For Action

LGBTQI organisations said that Tuesday night’s violence against the community was shocking.