More than 150 people gathered for the anti-racism rally in Melbourne's Broadmeadows on 25 July. Photograph: Harriet RoseView image in fullscreenMore than 150 people gathered for the anti-racism rally in Melbourne's Broadmeadows on 25 July. Photograph: Harriet RoseVictorian police investigate allegation a car drove deliberately at speed towards anti-racism protesterExclusive: ‘Peaceful community rally’ of more than 150 people was walking in Broadmeadows when car travelling in same direction allegedly approached
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Victorian police are investigating allegations that a car was deliberately driven at speed towards a protester taking part in an anti-racism rally in Melbourne last month.
More than 150 people gathered in the outer-north suburb of Broadmeadows on 25 July for what organisers described as a “peaceful community rally”.
After speeches, the group marched to Broadmeadows Town Park, occupying one lane of Tanderrum Drive, a two-lane road.
While the group was walking on the road, a car travelling in the same directionsounded its horn.
Protesters alleged that as the car approached the group, a passenger flung open the door twice, as if trying to push people out of the way.
Video of the incident, seen by Guardian Australia, shows a protester walking on the edge of the group in the lane where the car was attempting to pass. The video shows him turning as the car approaches and appearing to kick at it.
The car then clips the man on the legs and accelerates away.
Witnesses said it did not slow down as it attempted to pass the group.
The protester, who asked not to be identified, alleged that he heard an occupant of the car shout racial abuse before the car struck him.
The comments were not audible in the video, but Guardian Australia spoke to two others at the march who claim to have heard the alleged remarks. Several participants, including the man in the video, said they separately reported the incident directly to police within hours and in the following days.
“It felt surreal. I did not have the chance to even feel anything but shock,” the 43-year-old said.
Merri-bek Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton, an organiser of the event, said the incident contradicted the rally’s purpose, which was to support community members who were “feeling really intimidated” by a recent rise in anti-immigration rhetoric.
Bolton said the group had been in contact with police in the days before the event to make them aware of the rally and received confirmation over the phone that officers would attend, but none did so.
Athiya Zameer, the member of the group designated to liaise with police, said she believed the incident would not have occurred if police had been present.
In a formal complaint to police on behalf of the group, Zameer called for action against the driver, claiming the alleged incident had caused trauma to the person hit by the car, children present and the wider community.
“We want to make sure that people feel safe to do these actions, to raise their voices,” she said. “We live in a community [of people from] migrant backgrounds who are already traumatised by wars and the police … and to have an incident like that just traumatises them even more … that’s really unfortunate.”
In a response to the complaint, seen by Guardian Australia, police confirmed they had been aware of the planned event. The response said the incident was “being actively investigated” and police were “committed to ensuring that allegations are thoroughly assessed”.
They declined to answer questions from Guardian Australia about why officers did not attend the protest.
View image in fullscreenGreens MP Anasina Gray-Barberio. Photograph: Parliament of VictoriaThe Greens state MP Anasina Gray-Barberio, who attended the rally but did not witness the car incident, said “the community expects an urgent and robust response”.
“The community deserves answers … Communities of colour deserve to know that when they’re subjected to violence or racism, those incidents will be treated with the seriousness they deserve,” she said.
