Far-right activist Neil Erikson is detained by police for interrupting Muslim prayers in Melbourne’s Federation Square
- Far right activist Neil Erikson was detained by police on Friday in Melbourne
- In video posted online he can be seen interrupting Muslim Friday Prayers
- He can be heard shouting slogans such as ‘Mohammad was a terrorist’
- The prayers were being held in Federation Square just after 1pm on Friday
Far-right activist Neil Erikson has been detained by police for interrupting Muslim Friday prayers in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
In a video posted to Youtube on Friday, Erikson and his associates can be seen walking through the peacefully gathered group of Muslims who were sitting in groups of men and women.
Erikson arrived before the 1pm start time of the prayers and can be seen in the video wearing a high-vis shirt and walking through the group of woman before yelling slogans into a megaphone.
Far-right activist Neil Erikson has been detained by police for interrupting Muslim Friday prayers in Melbourne’s Federation Square
In a video posted to Youtube on Friday, Erikson and his associates can be seen walking through the peacefully gathered group of Muslims who were sitting in groups of men and women
He can be heard repeatedly shouting the slogans ‘Mohammad was a False Prophet,’ ‘Mohammad was a Terrorist’ and ‘Vote Fraser Anning.’
The Muslim crowd calmly asked who he was and asked him to leave before police arrived minutes later.
Officers escorted him away from where the prayers were taking place to another part of Federation Square where they questioned him.
Erikson repeatedly asked why he was being moved to another part of the square.
He also questioned why the police had taken three hours to remove hundreds of vegan protesters who blocked Melbourne CBD streets during rush hour on Monday.
At one point in the video he can be seen trying to walk back to where the prayers are taking place despite police directing him to stay where he is.
Officers then tackle him to the ground and handcuff him.
It is understood he was driven across the city to Flemington where he was released with a direction to not return to the CBD.
His associates were not detained.
The stunt was carried out less than one month after a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday Prayers in the worst terror attack in the country’s history.
The horrific attack resulted in the deaths of 50 Muslim worshippers and another 50 were seriously injured.
In the wake of the attacks, gun laws have been changed in New Zealand, with semi-automatic weapons now banned.
The stunt was carried out less than one month after a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday Prayers in the worst terror attack in the country’s history