Melbourne has been called, often derogatorily, the protest capital of Australia. While I cannot definitively say this is true, I did spend this past Saturday running around the city’s CBD chasing no less than four different protests.

Across multiple causes, and in the face of strategic and transport difficulties, hundreds of Victorians chose to spend their weekend marching and chanting in front of a usually unreceptive (sometimes hostile) public, not to mention an unamused police force, with substantial road closures now a commonplace Saturday occurrence in the city. I wanted to see who these people were, why they went, and what they wanted to achieve.

I began the day by ascending the nightmarish escalators at Parliament Station, where I was greeted with signage saying that the Bourke St exit had been closed. No good. My first protest of the day was that way. A couple of other commuters also had to turn around to figure out which exit was best to get to the anti-trans rally taking place on the steps of state parliament.

Or, in this person’s case, to the pro-trans counter-protest

Socialist anti-imperialism protest marches down Bourke St to meet other left-wing rallies

Above ground, it was apparent that much more than a single train station exit had been closed. Victoria Police, having had some issues keeping opposing protests apart in the past, appeared to have devised and deployed the most comprehensive closure of the streets around parliament I’ve ever seen. Walls of officers, horses, cars, and many, many meters of barricades kept the space sectioned and clear. Tram lines 35, 86 and 96 were severed by the blockade and rerouted. I’ve made this approximation to illustrate the scene.

Birds-eye impression of scene around Victorian Parliament (Image: Google Maps)

I went to the south end, where anti-trans “gender critical” or “trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF)” activists were gathering. This rally was organised in response to a recent ruling in the atrociously named Tickle v Giggle case and a lukewarm comment on the matter from former PM Julia Gillard, which has gone viral in right-wing media. In 2023, CPAC Australia brought prominent English “gender critical” campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull to Australia and New Zealand, where her rally was infamously joined on these same parliament steps by uniformed, saluting neo-Nazis, leading to a disastrous fallout for her cause.

This time around, rally organisers had a marshal working with Victoria Police to decide who they would allow through the barricades and into the demonstration. It was unclear upon what criteria individuals would be judged fit to enter.

A rally representative is supported by Victoria Police officers in allowing or disallowing people to enter (or even approach) the event

One accredited news photographer told me he was turned away. Another, Michael Currie, was allowed entry after being questioned about his allegiance to their cause. He described the activists to me as “unbelievably hostile”, and exited after encountering a frosty reception and finding little to photograph. Right-wing commentator Avi Yemini of Rebel News was granted access to live-stream the event.

I’ve photographed four similar rallies in Melbourne and, despite the participants’ radical beliefs, found the events surprisingly lacking in the visual interest that photographers need to thrive. I photographed from the perimeter while I figured out my next move.

Small but vehement crowd of anti-trans activists 

One attendee brought a sign with a slur for transgender women. Another wore a J.K. Rowling costume. Speakers included a couple of older feminist and lesbian activists, who were followed by a representative from anti-trans activist group Binary Australia, which had been the anti-gay marriage group Marriage Alliance until a 2018 rebrand. Another guest of honour was Drew Hutton, the 79-year-old co-founder of the Greens, who recently quit the party after years of back-and-forth over his anti-trans positions. 

Greens co-founder Drew Hutton speaks to Rebel News

Another politician, Libertarian Party state MP David Limbrick, also spoke at the rally. He began by addressing the counter-protest. “What do those people down there actually want? They want, they want actually to silence you,” Limbrick told the gathering, pointing across police lines as a gentle breeze knocked over placards around him.

David Limbrick MP addresses crowd (Image: YouTube/Rebel News)

I took an extended stroll around the barricades to the counter-protest, enjoying the sights of the city along the way.

American Cockroach and a small bag with white residue. Happy 4th of July

‘TERF’ rally, seen at the counter-protest through many police lines

The pro-trans side was better attended, if not massive. Probably a few hundred people, all up. Honking horns, blowing whistles and pop music blaring over a half-decent stereo system, their idea was to disturb the other side with sound and prevent their messages from being heard.

Pro-trans protester plays an accordion

Pro-trans protester

This particular counter-protest was notably more laid back than some previous ones, which had devolved into activists in black getting into altercations with police, passers-by and members of the media. Likely in response to this past violence, the police presence was visibly hostile to the pro-trans group. Line after line of officers faced their side, their backs to the other. Horses, riot shields, and “crowd control” weapons were at the ready.

Public Order Response Team officers stand by with 40mm “baton round” and VKS PepperBall launchers

Barricade separating the police line and pro-trans protesters

There were no such instances of violence this time. Some new branding and what appears to be a step back from protest militancy drew more of a crowd this time, especially among far less radical individuals. Two parents with a sign that read “Leave Our Daughter Alone”, nodded their heads to a 100 Gecs song I doubt they liked.

Pro-trans protester, with shark stuffy, dances to the music in front of barricades

A few unwelcome visitors passed through the rally and were heckled, including two motorcyclists attempting to get to the opposing rally before police turned them back. While they spoke to an officer, I watched a masked protester consider, then decide against, running off with a helmet left on one of their bikes.

Sweet ride, wrong side

The anti-trans rally, scheduled to be an hour long, apparently made good time as it had largely cleared out before even that much time had passed. The pro-trans side deserted its side fairly quickly, too. Some went home, but most marched through the city to join another left-wing protest.

Anti-trans protesters depart

Another anti-trans biker, this time on the correct side of the barricades

The pro-trans rally marches down Bourke St Mall

A huge number of police officers tailed the rally across town to an ADF office building called Defence Plaza. There, pro-Palestine and anti-war groups were protesting the US-Australia Joint Base Pine Gap — the Alice Springs signals intelligence base that plays a vital role in the US and Five Eyes surveillance network. A line of Public Order Response Team officers stood between the building and the few dozen protesters that had gathered.

The large number of police who had followed the pro-trans rally stood in lines on the periphery of the gathering.

A large number of police follow the march

Gunditjmara, Yuin and Bidjara activist Yaraan Cousens Bundle spoke at the anti-Pine Gap rally

Two older men quietly manned a small table off to the side, selling socialist newspapers and pins. Passing World Cup revellers took pictures as they walked by. One pedestrian had a go at some of the masked protesters, telling them that “Palestine isn’t real” and that he was a more productive member of society than they were. Police gently ushered him away.

A couple of protesters at the rear of the rally lit American and Australian flags on fire. They burned slowly, emitting sickly plastic fumes as all the photographers huddled around for a shot. Taking advantage of the cameras crammed around the flags, some protesters put their signs behind the fire.

American flag burns undramatically, and for some time, without an accelerant

Activists place placards, not particularly related to Pine Gap or the US, behind the burning flags

Then, cresting a hill, appeared the fourth and final protest. Led by socialist and Latin American groups, this rally had gathered at the State Library of Victoria under an anti-imperialism and anti-US banner, marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. After hearing speeches touching on a variety of left-wing issues, they too marched to join the others at Defence Plaza.

Police lead anti-imperialism/anti-US march to join others at Defense Plaza

Police and protest marshal lines face one another

The speeches went on, and the scene remained largely quiet. Some protesters grabbed lunch from a burger chain across the street. Some started leaving.

A loud crack grabbed people’s attention as a small item hit the centre of the street and shattered. Slight confusion was shrugged off until, a few minutes later, it happened again. The fragmented pieces on the ground looked like they had been garden pebbles. Sporadically, more little rocks landed on the pavement in the middle of the rally.

Rock fragment picked up from the street

For 20 to 30 minutes, these small, but not insubstantial, stones kept coming, seemingly lobbed from a rooftop terrace across from Defence Plaza. One hit someone’s boot. Thankfully, that was the closest one came to hitting a person before they stopped.

The speeches continued until there were no more speeches to be done. The protesters packed their things and departed the area in front of the empty office building. Everyone went home.