The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has condemned “goons” who took part in a neo-Nazi march through the streets of Melbourne in the early hours of Saturday morning.
About 100 people dressed in black with face coverings marched through the Melbourne CBD, including down Bourke Street, police said in a statement.
Police said they responded to a “pop-up protest” at about 12.40am on Saturday.
“The protest group, carrying Australian flags and chanting, eventually walked to Flagstaff Gardens, where they dispersed at about 1.25am,” the statement said.
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Footage of the event seen by Guardian Australia showed rows of people marching in unison up the empty La Trobe Street, led by a group carrying a banner and flags, and playing drums and cymbals. They all wore black balaclavas or face coverings, except for the man at the front of the group.
Allan said: “Nazis don’t belong in this country and they know it. That’s why they hide behind masks in the dark.”
She added in a statement on Saturday: “I thank police who maintained the public order. It’s clear they need more powers, and we’re giving it to them.
“Our criminal anti-vilification laws come into effect next month. We will introduce powers for police to unmask cowards at protests after that.
“We’re not afraid of these goons – but we won’t tolerate them either.”
Police alleged an altercation occurred during the protest when a 26-year-old man confronted the group and was assaulted.
“The man, of no fixed place of abode, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the investigation into the assault remains ongoing,” the police said in a statement.
“No arrests were made throughout the protest and police had a strong presence to maintain community safety and to prevent any breach of the peace.
“Victoria police respects the right to protest. However, there is absolutely no place for antisemitic, racist or hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity.”
In a second incident police believe was linked the first, officers attended the Bacchus Marsh train station to monitor a planned event.
“Members of local and specialist units responded to both the event and a counterprotest to that event, about 9am,” police said in a further statement.
Police said there were no assaults and no arrests were made at the second gathering.
The state opposition leader, Brad Battin, put out a statement on Saturday condemning “last night’s scenes of intimidation”.
“Protesters are now travelling from interstate to join these hateful rallies,” Battin claimed.
The shadow police minister, David Southwick, used a Saturday press conference to criticise the Victorian government, saying police were “doing their job with one arm tied behind their back”.
Southwick argued that because Victoria was the only state without a permit registration system for protesters and without move-on laws, police at the overnight incident had “to chaperone the protesters because they can’t arrest them”.
(The ACT’s National Capital Authority also does not require formal approval to conduct a demonstration.)
Southwick called for the stronger anti-vilification laws to be introduced sooner.
“Why wait till September for these laws to come into play? Bring them in now. We’re back in parliament next week. Let’s bring them forward. Let’s do whatever’s needed. Let’s bring the mask laws in.”
He also suggested that the group behind the march led a “recruitment drive” immediately afterwards.
