Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Benita Kolovos

Call for inquiry into Victoria's far-right

The Greens want a parliamentary inquiry into the far-right in Victoria after protests this week. (AAP)

The Victorian Greens are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the influence of the far-right in the state.

Leader Samantha Ratnam on Friday announced she will move a motion for an inquiry into the rise of the political movement and its links to anti-vaccination conspiracy groups when parliament resumes in a fortnight.

It comes after protests against tearoom bans and mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for construction workers morphed into a wider anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine movement.

For five consecutive days, hundreds of protesters have clashed with police and stormed Melbourne landmarks, including the West Gate Bridge and the Shrine of Remembrance.

The construction union has claimed while some construction workers were involved, the protests have been hijacked by "neo-Nazi's and right-wing extremists" dressed in high-visibility clothing.

Ms Ratnam said the fear and anxiety of the pandemic had provided a "breeding ground" for dangerous ideology and that it needed to be investigated as a matter of urgency.

"The growing presence of far-right nationalists sends a chill down my spine," she said.

"I was once harassed and followed from my office by right-wing extremists. It was frightening. And the attacks on me online have increased over the last year."

The proposed inquiry would investigate far-right, right-wing nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, their methods of recruitment and communication and the risk their actions pose, particularly to Victoria's multicultural communities.

"History has shown us what happens if we don't act early and if we don't act quickly to counter far-right extremists," Ms Ratnman said.

A federal parliamentary inquiry is already investigating the rising threat of right-wing extremism.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.