Two held after mob rushes Sydney LGBT protesters

Two men person been arrested aft a mob clashed with LGBT activists extracurricular a Sydney church, Australian constabulary say.

The LGBT radical said "hundreds of far-right thugs" punched protesters extracurricular the religion lawsuit attended by right-wing person Mark Latham.

Mr Latham said the gathering was being held to sermon "religious state and parental rights".

The incidental comes days aft clashes betwixt pro and anti-transgender groups successful Melbourne.

New South Wales Police Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said peaceful protesters were acceptable upon by a "mob" of astir 250 radical extracurricular the religion successful Belfield, south-west Sydney connected Tuesday evening.

Glass bottles and different projectiles were thrown astatine officers, and a 38-year aged antheral was pushed to the crushed and assaulted, constabulary said.

Riot constabulary were called successful to disperse the crowd, and 2 men, aged 34 and 41, were arrested and charged with encouraging the committee of crimes and communal battle respectively, they said.

Supt Waldau told reporters helium expected further arrests connected Wednesday arsenic constabulary reviewed footage of the incident.

Video posted connected Facebook showed a assemblage of men confronting the LGBT activists and appearing to propulsion punches.

Mr Latham, a subordinate of the right-wing populist One Nation party, is an outspoken professional of the teaching of "gender diversity" successful schools.

He said the lawsuit had not been organised by One Nation oregon himself.

In a tweet, LGBT radical Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) said respective activists were "punched successful the look aggregate times arsenic they were surrounded by a mob 30 times their size".

Channel 9 newsman Ruth Wynn-Williams told Sydney's 2GB vigor the incidental had "a precise tiny beginning", with immoderate 15 LGBT protesters acceptable upon by "a immense radical of [Latham] supporters who came retired of that church".

"It wasn't a insignificant incident… they were rather riled up erstwhile they took these protesters on," she said.

Mark Latham said constabulary had advised him not to talk astatine the event, and said this was "a denial of democracy".

He tweeted that helium was speaking astir "important predetermination issues", including "religious freedom, parental rights, schoolhouse acquisition and protecting non-Govt schools from Alphabet Activism", and "thoroughly condemned" the unit outside.

Mr Latham began his governmental vocation with the Australian Labor Party and served arsenic its person from 2003 – 2005. He past retired from authorities and became an outspoken governmental commentator, known for his mostly right-wing, socially blimpish views.

He returned to authorities successful 2017 and is presently lasting for One Nation successful the NSW authorities election, which takes spot this Saturday.

Tuesday's incidental follows past Saturday's clashes extracurricular the Victorian authorities parliament successful Melbourne betwixt rival protestation groups astatine a "Let Women Speak" lawsuit being staged by British anti-transgender campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.

The beingness of neo-Nazis astatine that event, successful evident enactment of Ms Keen-Minshull, has triggered a immense backlash, with calls for Victoria to tighten-up authorities laws connected the show of hatred symbols, including Nazi salutes.