- 20 Feb 2013 01:19
#14177103
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-19/c ... ch/4528388
The ironic thing is the protesters who tried to stop people from entering the event are playing to Wilder's narrative, that freedom of speech is under assault in the west due to our obsession with trying not to offend anyone. Just goes to show the ideology at either extreme is just as dangerous to our democracy as each other.
A large group of angry protesters has scuffled with people attending a Melbourne speech by controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
There were verbal exchanges on Monday evening as about 200 protesters wrestled with those trying to access the venue at Somerton, in the city's north.
The demonstrators took guests' tickets and pushed them to the ground.
"What are you doing? This is a democratic society. We're allowed to go in there," one guest told the protesters.
Mounted police then moved in, forming a line to try to stop the scuffles.
"We do not want this to be an issue of confrontation and we ask you to accept the rights of all the other members of the community," one policeman said.
"If you do not move aside, we will be using force."
Most of the protesters, who chanted "racism, no way, we're going to fight it all the way", then moved on.
The group Students for Palestine organised the protest, and say demonstrators did not come looking for trouble.
"We were just standing there while actually, a number of people were charging at us, are hurting us," the group's Yasmin Shamsil said.
"There are actually people in here with bloody noses and these are all the demonstrators who are just peacefully trying to raise awareness of the fact that we oppose Islamophobia and all the things that Geert Wilders and the people who come to Geert Wilders' event preach."
The far-right politician's Australian speaking tour has been sponsored by a group called the Q Society, which is against multiculturalism.
Andrew Horwood from the Q Society blamed political correctness for the trouble.
"I think it's very sad that we've got to this stage with the cloak of political correctness that's descended on this land," he said.
"That it's hard for an organisation like this, a group of volunteers, to get places where we can freely speak and discuss something that concerns the future of this country."
Security inside the function centre was tight for Mr Wilders, who told an enthusiastic audience large-scale immigration by Muslims threatened the fabric of Australian life.
"I'm also here to warn Australia about the true nature of Islam," he said.
"It's not just a religion, as so many people mistakenly think. It's primarily a dangerous and totalitarian ideology.
"And I'm also here to warn you what is happening in my native country, the Netherlands, that that might soon happen in Australia too if you fail to be vigilant."
Mr Wilders will press on to other speaking engagements across Australia, and no doubt more protests.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-19/c ... ch/4528388
The ironic thing is the protesters who tried to stop people from entering the event are playing to Wilder's narrative, that freedom of speech is under assault in the west due to our obsession with trying not to offend anyone. Just goes to show the ideology at either extreme is just as dangerous to our democracy as each other.
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