Police up for battle

Weapons fear as far-right extremists gather for rally at beach

HUNDREDS of police will swarm St Kilda, searching for weapons among extremists planning to gather at the popular Melbourne beach.

Convicted criminals Blair Cottrell and Neil Erikson want to gather a rally of far-right extremists at the beach today to “discuss” Melbourne’s youth crime problem.

The event, promoted on social media, has sparked the in- terest of anti-racism protesters and authorities.

“Let me be clear – there will be hundreds of police there, there will be specialist police, there will be the dog squad, the mounted squad, the transit teams, the public order response teams, they will be conducting weapons searches,” Police Minister Lisa Neville said yesterday. “Whether you are on the ultra-right or the ultra-left, this is a family beach and Victoria Police will be there in force to keep it safe.”

Ms Neville pleaded for those looking to cause trouble to “please rethink” and “don’t wreck a great weekend for Victorians at that beach”.

“Protesting in Victoria is legal and we want that to be the case,” she said. “What isn’t legal is public disorder, violence, inciting violence and that’s why Victoria Police will be there tomorrow.”

The planned event comes a week after Erikson confronted young men of African background who were playing soccer at the beach and after several incidents over the festive period involving groups of youths robbing beachgoers.

Ahead of today’s event, he made social media posts to generate interest. “The media are trying to ignore, the police are trying to shut down a lawful democratic event, make sure you bring your mates,” he wrote on Facebook.

Cottrell and Erikson in 2017 were convicted and fined for inciting contempt and ridicule of Muslims by making a video in which they beheaded a dummy with a toy sword in a protest against the building of the Bendigo mosque.