The manager of the Melbourne bar where Senator Sam Dastyari was racially abused says the Labor MP was just trying to have a beer when he got harassed.
The NSW senator was at Footscray pub Vu on Wednesday when far-right campaigner and convicted stalker Neil Erikson and others approached him, calling him a "terrorist" and a "monkey" and telling him to go back to Iran.
"Sam's a strong bloke, he's got a thick skin, he's been in politics for a long time," Mr Erikson told ABC radio on Thursday.
"He called us rednecks, which is a racist term in fact, so look, he gives as good as he gets.
"I think he's playing the victim a little bit."
The member of the far-right group "Patriot Blue" was one of three men who approached Senator Dastyari at the Footscray pub, where he was launching a book with local MP Tim Watts.
Bar manager Kim Soi told AAP Senator Dastyari was just trying to order a beer when the incident happened.
"He (was) trying to have a beer and then they were attacking him. One guy was filming and one guy kept asking questions," Ms Soi told AAP.
She said another manager called security but the men had already left by the time they arrived.
"Three of the tradesman came out of nowhere and started to abuse him, calling him names," Ms Soi said.
"He just kind of ignored them ... he just wanted to order a beer."
Mr Erikson uploaded a video of him abusing Senator Dastyari to Facebook, and later called the Labor MP a "sook" for complaining about the harassment.
Meanwhile, transport and logistics company Toll Holdings is investigating after the men were seen wearing high-vis vests with its logo.
"We are currently investigating the matter and whether any of the individuals involved are currently employed by Toll," a spokesperson said.
Mr Erikson told Melbourne radio 3AW he wasn't employed by Toll and wore the shirt to his "other job".
In 2014, Mr Erikson was ordered to do community service after pleading guilty to stalking a Melbourne rabbi.
He's also appealing a 2017 conviction for beheading a dummy outside a Bendigo council office in protest over plans to build a mosque.
