Neighbours star Damien Richardson has bizarrely found himself at the centre of the wild protests that have ripped through Melbourne – addressing a crowd of jeering demonstrators and even negotiating with cops.
The soap star, best known as Gary Canning on the international hit soap, took centre stage negotiating an exit strategy with Victoria Police on behalf of hundreds of feral protesters who took over the Victoria’s shrine to its war dead on Wednesday.
The ex-boyfriend of TV and radio presenter Fifi Box, 52, was seen crying out to police that the 400 people who were bizarrely camping out at the sacred site wanted to leave with ‘dignity’.
Video showed the well-known actor – who featured on the show from 2014 to 2020 – rambling at police officers about debts.
Richardson said: ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, you end up so far in debt that you don’t know what to do, so what have I got to lose? Eventually what have I got to lose?
‘These people will leave, but we want to leave with dignity the way we came, we want to leave down the centre here the way we came.’
Former Neighbours actor Damien Richardson is pictured negotiating on behalf of the demonstrators with police
Richardson played Gary Canning from 2014 to 2020 on the hit Australian TV soap Neighbours (picture above with ex-girlfriend, Fifi Box)
The police officer responded by suggesting there was only one ‘safe’ way to exit the park.
‘I’ve made a safe path here on the right,’ the officer insisted. ‘The reason why I can’t take you through the centre is we’ve got too much infrastructure set up.’
Richardson offered to ‘walk past the infrastructure’ insisting ‘that’s what these guys want’.
Visibly frustrated with the negotiation, he told the officer: ‘So now I’m going to go back there and say that to them and they’ll feel that that is a weakening in position.’
A separate clip then showed Richardson with a megaphone relaying police demands to protesters.
‘I’ve just spoken to superintendent Brett Hinton… he is saying he will grant us free passage as long as we don’t cause any disturbance… and he asked us to separate into small groups,’ he says to the rowdy crowd who erupted with furious jeers.
‘I told them that, that would be your response and that there would be no way we would be separating into small groups,’ he added to thunderous applause of the group.
But the protesters’ occupation of the site didn’t end peacefully.
Former Neighbours actor Damien Richardson was caught up in the drama of Wednesday’s wild protest
Richardson is pictured in the centre of the group before police moved in with tear gas and rubber bullets
Richardson (pictured) joined construction workers demonstrated at Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance to protest mandatory Covid vaccinations on job sites
Some demonstrators threw rocks, golf balls, batteries and bottles at police from the shrine – hoping police would not touch them due to the site’s symbolism.
But riot squad cops cleared out the protesters by firing rubber bullets and throwing stinger grenades.
They left a trail of destruction behind them – leaving piles of rubbish and urinating on the memorial.
Deputy Police Commissioner Ross Guenther said: ‘It was completely disrespectful that the crowd ended up at the shrine, which is such hallowed ground in this great city.’
Vietnam Veterans Association Victorian state president Bob Elworthy said the ‘unedifying’ protest that unfolded was ‘one of the most un-Australian things’ he’d ever seen.
‘I just cant believe these people thought it was right to go to a place like the shrine and carry on that,’ he told 3AW.
‘I wonder if they would go to their own grandparent’s grave and drink beer on it.
‘This mob of idiots have no moral fiber at all. If they’re going to do that on the shrine, goodness knows where else they’re going to do it.’
The 52-year-old soap star was sporting a beard, baseball cap and a Tommy Hilfiger jacket
The Victorian actor (pictured among the crowd) has had a largely successful on-screen career recently staring in the Australia murder mystery series Jack Irish alongside Hollywood A-lister Guy Pearce
Richardson (pictured) was filmed trying to negotiate the crowd’s exit from the protest
As for Richardson, the Victorian actor has had a largely successful on-screen career recently staring in the Australia murder mystery series Jack Irish alongside Hollywood A-lister Guy Pearce.
Daily Mail Australia have contacted his agent for further comment on why he chose to protest alongside the construction workers.
His representative insisted she didn’t want anything to do with the matter, and refused to comment.
Pictured: Protesters at the shrine. ‘I just cant believe these people thought it was right to go to a place like the shrine and carry on that,’ Vietnam Veterans Association Victorian state president Bob Elworthy said
Protesters descended on Victoria’s Shrine of Remembrance on Wednesday, sparking nationwide anger