Shock online tangle
Anti-vax rally offence
THE owner of a popular Miami cafe and bar has been accused of making abusive comments online after criticism of an attendee at an anti-vaccination mandate rally.
In the comments, The Henchman owner Jared “Batman” Fairall allegedly called a woman “the worst type of human in the world” and a Facebook group she participates in an “anti-male, dick-hating, ugly side of feminism slag whores group”.
The woman claimed the comments were made in response to posts criticising The Bennies frontman Anty Horgan for performing at an anti-vaccine mandate protest at Kurrawa Park in Broadbeach on Saturday.
The rally was addressed by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who criticised vaccination mandates as an attack on “freedom”.
Mr Horgan also had a job at The Henchman, which he has since resigned.
“I reached out privately to people involved and asked them to stop abusing people in my defence,” Mr Horgan said in a statement.
“I have quit my job at The Henchman because I know I have a responsibility to take a stand on abuse.”
Amid chants of “no more jabs”, the rally was told by Ms
Hanson that people wanted their “freedom” and “choice about what they put into their bodies”.
Mr Horgan said he played at the rally because he was “unhappy about many of the laws that the government is forcing upon everyone”.
“I went to the rally to see what people had to say about it,” he said.
“I was trying to keep an open mind.”
However, following a backlash on social media, centred on allegedly extremist views held by Ms Hanson and her supporters, Mr Horgan later apologised for his appearance.
“In the last 48 hours I have spent a lot of time thinking about my actions and the mistakes I have made,” Mr Horgan said in a statement.
“I have spoken with some of the people that called me out and I appreciate their time and energy.
“I performed at a rally that was strongly associated with racists and the right wing and I was ignorant to that fact.
“My privilege meant I didn’t bother to check and when I did realise I just went with the flow rather than cause a scene.
“Given a chance I would do things differently”.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reached out to Mr Fairall and Mr Horgan for comment. Neither replied by deadline.