Five people have been arrested in a protest outside a Melbourne hotel against a speaking tour by conservative UK politician Nigel Farage.
About 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Sofitel on Collins St on Friday night, where the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party gave his last Australian tour speech.
Five people were arrested, one for criminal damage, another for riotous behaviour and a third for covering their face and assaulting police.
Two others, a man and a woman, were arrested for unrelated outstanding matters, police said.
At least 100 officers policed the event, and were forced to intervene in confrontations between people trying to attend and protesters, led by the Coalition Against Racism and Fascism (CARF).
Demonstrators chanted "Nigel Farage you can't hide we can see your Nazi side" and "Nazis are racist, Muslims are not".
Anti-feminister blogger Andrew Nolch, who on Thursday pleaded guilty to defacing a Princes Park memorial to slain comedian Eurydice Dixon, attended Farage's event.
Convicted criminal and fair-right activist Neil Erikson was also seen entering.
Share
