Hospitality venues in Melbourne’s CBD say they're fed up with constant protests impacting their businesses. It follows ugly clashes yesterday, when a women's rights rally was met with counter protesters, forcing businesses to close their doors for safety.
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00:00Ugly scenes in Melbourne's CBD.
00:05Police told city businesses to lock their doors yesterday after a protest turned violent.
00:13They told me don't open the door for anyone from front side also for the back side.
00:18Mandeep Singh had hopes the long weekend would bring bumper trading,
00:23but instead business was brought to a standstill.
00:26We closed for about three to four hours and it's happening every week,
00:31sometimes every two weeks. It's very effective our business.
00:34Streets were shut down when a counter protest to a women's rights rally clashed with police.
00:40These are small businesses, usually owner operated family businesses
00:45that have had a really tough time through the pandemic.
00:48Being near parliament, they have been hit hard time and time again.
00:53Some protesters threw projectiles at police, injuring four officers.
00:58Others waving signs and chanting behind barricades.
01:02Organisers of the Women Will Speak event say their rally was peaceful and the violence was unacceptable.
01:08It's obviously really scary. It's obviously really frightening that women need hundreds of police,
01:15police horses and the riot police in waiting. It's just shocking what happened.
01:22I mean, what polite words can I use? You know, they were feral.
01:26Former MP Andy Medic was left with minor bruising following an altercation.
01:31I want that man arrested for assault.
01:33As a father of trans children, I felt it was important to stand up for their rights,
01:38but not just for them, but for the broader trans community.
01:41Victoria Police says an investigation is ongoing,
01:45but the violent clash has renewed calls from the union
01:49to consider introducing a permit system like in New South Wales.
01:53The government has no plans for a permit system and has described yesterday's scenes as disgusting.