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In promotional materials for Saturday’s event,organisers said women’s rights and single-sex spaces were under attack,referencing transgender people by stating “no child is born in the wrong body”.
On Saturday,a second fracas erupted less than 30 minutes after the first,in front of stunned onlookers outside the Cricketer’s Bar near the corner of Bourke and Spring streets.
Diners watched on as a man who was livestreaming the event was followed by a large group of trans rights activists,and a scuffle broke out between him and one of the counter-protesters as they fought over his long metal phone tripod.
Officers from the mounted branch moved onto the footpath to break up the fight.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said in a statement that they were “disappointed” by the behaviour of those who tried to break through police lines at the demonstration. “Our members were confronted by hostile members of the crowd who acted out violently towards police,” she said.
“We have a long history of supporting peaceful protest but will not tolerate disgraceful and unlawful behaviour. As is standard procedure available footage will be reviewed to identify any further offending.”