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 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.
AAP
