The founder of the controversial Safe Schools program was among those involved in a violent protest outside Milo Yiannopoulos’ event in Melbourne yesterday.
Roz Ward stood side-by-side with Campaign Against Racism and Fascism supporters and starred down fans of the right-wing firebrand outside his event on Monday night.
During her time as leader of the Safe Schools program, Ms Ward was criticised over her political views and hardline Marxist opinions. She was sacked in December 2016.
But she wasn’t the only big name to be brought out by Yiannopoulos’ event, with top figures from both sides of the online political divide putting themselves right in the midst of the mayhem.
Roz Ward (pictured in a red and black jumper), the founder of the Safe Schools program, was at a protest against controversial right-wing firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos in Melbourne
Ms Ward wasn’t the only big name to be brought out by Yiannopoulos, with the event drawing Sydney-based Jewish activist Avi Yemini
Regarded as one of the original leaders of the right-wing movement, Blair Cottrell (middle) appeared to be keeping his distance as the violence broke out
Violent scenes erupted about 6pm on Monday as opposing crowds gathered at the intersection outside the Melbourne Pavilion, in the inner-city suburb of Kensington.
The police riot squad was forced to keep the opposing sides at bay as mayhem broke out, with rocks, street signs, punches and verbal abuse being hurled.
Scores of protesters from left-aligned Campaign Against Racism and Fascism rallied with Ms Ward against Yiannopoulos, who they called ‘racist’, ‘sexist’ and a ‘w**ker’.
Among those standing opposite and praising the political commentator were right-wing figures Blair Cottrell, Avi Yemini, Neil Erikson and the Soldiers of Odin group.
Footage shared online showed convicted stalker Erikson wrestling with protesters as the mayhem broke out.
The ‘Patriots Blue’ leader, who abused Sam Dastyari at a pub last month, was joined by his co-founder Ricky Turner.
Neil Erikson (pictured), the founder of Patriots Blue, was at the event just a month after abusing Senator Sam Dastyari at a Melbourne pub
Prominent Sydney-based martial arts expert Avi Yemini also made the trip down to Melbourne in support of Yiannopoulos, broadcasting live online from the event (pictured)
Turner was involved in a skirmish with an opposing protester before being covered in pepper spray by police and later arrested.
Regarded as one of the original leaders of the alt-right movement, Cottrell appeared to be keeping his distance as the violence broke out.
Prominent Sydney-based martial arts expert Avi Yemini also made the trip down to Melbourne in support of Yiannopoulos, broadcasting live online from the event.
Among those standing alongside Ms Ward was rocker Ezekiel Ox, with the left-wing supporter hanging up on Neil Mitchell in a phone interview on Tuesday morning.
During the confrontations a police officer was hit by a rock and two protesters were arrested for ‘discharging a missile’.
Speaking of the ugly scenes on Tuesday morning, Yiannopoulos accused ‘the left’ of inciting the violence.
‘There was a lot of kerfuffle out front,’ he told Alan Jones on 2GB Radio.
Police in riot gear were forced to subdue demonstrators during ugly scenes on Monday night
A police officer was hit with a rock and two protesters were arrested for ‘discharging a missile’ during violent clashes outside Yiannopoulos’ Melbourne event
The mayhem unfolded outside the Melbourne Pavilion in inner-city Kensington on Monday night
Campaign Against Racism and Fascism members demonstrate outside the event on Monday
‘It was not as the newspapers reported ”a clash between the far left and far right” it was the left, showing up, being violent to stop freedom of speech.
‘The left really showed us who they are. They attack the police, they attacked other people, they attacked journalists – they showed us they are petulant babies.’
Victoria Police assistant commissioner Stephen Fontana blamed ‘Kardashian-style’ politics for the left and right wing clash outside the event.
‘We’ve always got Kardashian-style politics now and these people know that you have to do something outrageous in order to get it on to YouTube and seen across the world,’ he told Melbourne radio 3AW on Tuesday.
‘I’ve got no doubt part of their motivation last night was to get as much as they could splashed around the world and feel famous for five minutes.’
Scores of protesters from left-aligned Campaign Against Racism and Fascism and two right-wing groups, Reclaim Australia and the True Blue Crew, rallied with a heavy police presence
A protester throws a street sign towards Police officers during a demonstration outside Milo Yiannopoulos’s sold out show at the Melbourne Pavilion
Extra security measures are expected to be in place when Yiannopoulos visits Parliament House in Canberra
Extra security measures are expected to be in place when Yiannopoulos pays a visit to Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday afternoon.
Later that night he will hold the first of three speaking events in Sydney, where police are also expected to have a strong presence.
Yiannopoulos’s speeches on university campuses in the United States have sparked violent protests previously.
He was also banned from Twitter last year amid a barrage of racist abuse directed at Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones.
He has previously likened feminism to cancer, Islam to AIDS and spoken out against gay rights and the Black Lives Matter movement – despite being openly homosexual and married to an African American man.
The British-born, US-based commentator lost a book deal after a video emerged in February in which he appeared to suggest it was OK for older men to sleep with teenage boys.
Protesters could be heard chanting ‘Milo is a w**ker’ before the clash turned physical
Protesters could be heard chanting ‘Milo is a w**ker’ before the clash turned physical and police used capsicum spray to subdue protesters
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