Melbourne Anti-Trans vs Pro-Trans Rallies: Arrests & Clashes As Police Protect TERF Group

Star Observer was on the ground to cover today’s anti-trans vs pro-trans rallies in Melbourne. One rally was protected by lines of police officers and peddled unsubstantiated and bigoted claims on Parliament steps, the other experienced pepper spray, police using special Designated Area stop-and-search powers, and several arrests.

The ‘TERF’ anti-trans rally titled ‘Women Will Speak’ today gathered around 70 individuals outside Parliament House of Victoria. 

This was the fifth such event since Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s — also known as Posie Parker — infamous ‘Let Women Speak’ event in February 2023, where a neo-Nazi cell gave now-banned fascist salutes on the steps of Victorian Parliament. 

As in the past, the crowd was composed of a mix of online-organised “gender critical” anti-trans activists and what remains of the anti-COVID lockdown ‘Freedom Movement’ — some of whom still gather at Parliament every Saturday. Attendance today was likely the highest of these rallies since the 2023 event. 

As per the Herald Sun, white supremacists had threatened to show up at today’s rally in order to act ‘as protection’ for the anti-trans rally. One posted online, “It’s open to the public. You can’t stop us,” alongside an image of Adolf Hitler. However, no overt appearances of white supremacists or associated imagery was sighted at today’s event by Star Observer.

Left-wing and trans rights activists once again counter protested the TERF event. The pro-trans counter demonstrations have seen a reduction in the amount of overall attendees, while a more radical core group — dressed in black-bloc and attempting more militant tactics — has appeared to have grown. 

Activist group Trans Queer Solidarity promoted and organised the counter demonstration. On Instagram, the group encouraged protesters to “be ungovernable”, and said, “[TERFs] oppress other women and collaborate with the colonial state. They agitate for trans women to face more extreme state violence. They pipeline people to the far right. They do not have an entrenched right to ‘speak’ – there is no platform for transphobia.” 

The group also posted an anti-mainstream-media manifesto of sorts, encouraging people to block the Channel 9 and Channel 7 cameras with umbrellas, and quoting the well-known anonymous essay, ‘In Defense of Smashing Cameras’.

Victoria Police, meanwhile, declared a Designated Area around the city in relation to the demonstrations, which grants police the power to stop-and-search and demand removal of face coverings. Hundreds of officers stood guard at Parliament and barricaded the intersection of Spring and Bourke Streets. 

Victoria Police even released a statement ahead of time to media outlets – including Star Observer — warning journalists of anti-media sentiment and encouraging outlets to “consider your security arrangements”. 

“Water filled barriers will be used tomorrow to separate opposing groups and to prevent breaches of the peace,” reads Victoria Police’s statement. “This decision has been made following disruptive behaviour by the protest and counter groups at their April protest… A strong police presence, including general duties, the Public Order Response Team, Mounted Branch and Highway Patrol will be deployed at tomorrow’s protest. As always, police respect the right for people to protest peacefully, however we have zero tolerance for those who threaten community or police safety.”

Today, Star Observer only witnessed police use Designated Area powers on the pro-trans demonstrators.

2025 Melbourne anti-trans vs pro-trans rally: How the day unfolded

The event’s day began with the large police presence holding the intersection before Parliament House, as the anti-trans group began to gather to the south. The pro-trans group assembled at Carlton Gardens, outside the designated area, before marching to the north side of the barricaded intersection. 

Police attempted to perform searches on several masked activists who did not comply. Around this stage, a pro-trans protester attempted to break a news videographer’s camera, with photojournalist Luis Ascui intervening to protect his colleague. Neither journalist was hurt, and their equipment was not damaged. 

As the situation escalated and police pressed further, the group retreated from Parliament and marched away down La Trobe Street. Officers who were following the group made several arrests for non-compliance with Designated Area directions and deployed pepper spray on protesters during a scuffle. 

After making a lap through the city, passing the State Library and Flinders Street, the group approached the TERF rally from the less-fortified south side. A police line blocked them from getting close to the anti-trans group and a warning issued through speakers saw them again move on. 

After another three arrests, they eventually landed back outside the Designated Area at Carlton Gardens. Activists again came after members of the media, swinging umbrellas at a Channel 9 team and bum-rushing photographers to keep them away.

The anti-trans event back at Parliament was a comparatively banal affair. Despite making wild, unsubstantiated, and often bigoted claims about transgender people, they were more than willing to engage with media and use their police-protected space to portray themselves simply as ‘responsible and concerned individuals’. 

Dashing the microphone away from ourselves

This, unfortunately for our community, became the easiest angle for much of the media to take today. 

The pro-trans rally titled ‘Don’t Let Fascists Speak’ dashed the microphone away from themselves, which mean the voices of the anti-trans group will be the ones heard loudest today. 

The story that leads the news will not be ‘protesters stand up for trans rights’; mainstream media will focus on arrests, clashes with police and going after journalists — this can already be seen in today’s coverage by the Herald Sun and The Age. On the other hand, the anti-trans group — despite peddling falsehoods and bigoted rhetoric — were able to garner media attention, say their part in polite tones, and walk themselves home. 

Unintentionally, the events of today may instead help legitimise the rhetoric of the anti-trans group to much of the broader public. 

And in the current political landscape — with anti-transgender policy and anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric in general growing globally — these anti-trans groups are becoming emboldened, getting more comfortable in their positions and working to build a power base. 

Photographer: Alex Zucco