Australian Indigenous Minister says incident at anti-trans rights rally disturbing

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Australian Indigenous Minister says incident at anti-trans rights rally disturbing

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, says an incident in which senator Lidia Thorpe was knocked to the ground, apparently by an Australian federal police officer, while protesting against an anti-trans rights rally was disturbing and concerning. On Thursday Thorpe was pulled to the ground after she rushed to a lectern where anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull was addressing a small crowd outside Australian Parliament House in Canberra.

In a post to Guardian Australia, Thorpe complained about her treatment by the Australian federal police, alleging that it was an assault.

A spokesman for Thorpe later clarified that the incident involved both private security officers and the AFP.

On Friday, Burney said I ve seen the footage, and it is disturbing and concerning. The incident has been reported to the AFP professional standards unit and they will make a decision about that, she told ABC Radio.

I hope she gets the support she should get. I think it is appropriate to refer it to the professional standards unit. Asked if a white male senator could have been treated differently, Burney replied: "The real issue is to make sure her wellbeing and welfare is OK. On Thursday the AFP issued a statement saying it was aware of a matter relating to protests near Australian Parliament House.

No further comments will be made if a matter is now under investigation. The rally organized by Keen-Minshull, known as Posie Parker, attended by about 30 supporters including One Nation s Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts and the United Australia party s Ralph Babet.

None of the Coalition parliamentarians have defended Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming who faces expulsion for her attendance at Keen-Minshull's Melbourne rally in Canberra.

Deeming has denounced any wrongdoing and condemned the attendance of neo-Nazis at the rally, calling them gatecrashers.

Liberal senator Claire Chandler posted on Facebook that she had planned to attend the Let Women Speak event in Canberra to draw attention to what these women are saying but had decided against it.

Chandler cited the fact that she hadn't seen a single word of a speech at the last two rallies reported by Australian media.

She said that the entire focus was consumed by those there to disrupt or hijack the event and media attention for their own abhorrent purposes, an apparent reference to those at the Melbourne rally who gave the Nazi salute.

There is no assurance that it will be safe for women to attend Thursday s event.