Anti-mosque protesters hijack council meeting

Anti-mosque protesters hijack meeting as Bendigo councillors get police escort

• TOM MINEAR​
• HERALD SUN​
• SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 6:12AM​

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Anti-mosque protesters at the Bendigo rally last month. Picture: Rob Leeson.
POLICE have escorted Bendigo councillors from a fiery meeting which was hijacked by anti-mosque protesters.
About half a dozen officers were forced to intervene when a large group of protesters last night hurled abuse at councillors who supported the controversial new mosque.
Bendigo Mayor Peter Cox was escorted from the meeting by police after he was forced to end proceedings.
He said the “sheer noise” and “disruptive and threatening behaviour” made carrying out normal council business impossible.
“While there was threatening behaviour, once the police arrived, it gave councillors a sense of security,” Mr Cox told the Herald Sun.

“Their advice was that you’re not going to quiet this group down.”

Bendigo Mayor Peter Cox.

An image of the proposed Bendigo mosque.​

Bendigo council approved construction of the $3 million mosque last year despite fierce opposition from some residents.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal rejected an appeal last month, several weeks before anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters clashed in ugly scenes outside Bendigo Town Hall.
Mr Cox said the anti-mosque protesters began shouting during public question time on Wednesday night as they demanded a referendum on the project.
“It just got out of hand ... I couldn’t respond because there was so much noise with people yelling out,” Mr Cox said.
“It absolutely shocks me to think that I had to close the meeting, and then to think that we would even consider doing away with public question time.”
“It’s not the way we do things. It’d be very much a last straw to consider.”


Police separating anti-racist and anti-mosque protesters at a rally last month. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

But he said the council would need to review how meetings were managed to prevent future disruptions as the protesters promised to return.
Mr Cox said it was the first time a meeting had been prematurely closed in his time as a Bendigo councillor.
“We’ve got dozens of issues we’re dealing with at each council meeting,” he said.
“Having to close a meeting impacts on the way a council does its business.”
Victoria Police spokesman Leading Sen-Constable Paul Turner said no criminal activity had been reported.
“Councillors cancelled the meeting due to safety concerns and police provided an escort from the building to ensure there was no breach of the peace,” Leading Sen-Constable Turner said.
Last month’s clash between anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters prompted one of the largest Victoria Police operations seen outside Melbourne.
Punches were thrown in a violent melee before capsicum spray was used to disperse the crowd.
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