Controversial activist and Youtuber Avi Yemini has claimed he was “violently attacked” by extremists at a Melbourne neo-Nazi rally.
Members of the National Socialist Network organised an anti-immigration rally at Victoria’s Parliament House on Saturday, but were met by a much larger group of counter-protesters.
In footage from the scene, Yemini, a far-right media correspondent who was filming and interviewing people at the protests, was heckled by several counter-protesters.
Taunts of “Avi you dog” and ”wife-beater” were heard as he made his way through the crowd, before a scuffle broke out between Yemini, his security and several men.
During the brief incident, a man swing what appears to be a metal pole at Yemini’s head before he is pushed away.
“Today I was violently attacked in Melbourne for doing my job,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Not by the extremist Nazis. Instead, the people pretending to be there to counter them.
They attacked a Jew in the name of fighting Nazis. Let that sink in.”
Earlier, police and neo-Nazis clashed on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House hours before the “peaceful” rally was set to begin.
Footage of the conflict has emerged on Twitter, showing items being hurled during the confrontation in Melbourne about 11am.
Read the article by Liam Beatty in Perth Now (NCA Newswire).