Tony Abbott head-butt ‘not linked to same-sex marriage vote’
Man charged with assaulting former Australian PM denies attack was political

A man charged with head-butting former prime minister of Australia Tony Abbott has said that the attack had nothing to do with the country’s vote on same-sex marriage.
Abbott – a vocal advocate for the No vote – had a swollen lip and criticised the “bullying tactics” of some in the Yes campaign as “disturbing”, according to local news reports.
The former leader told Radio 3AW that he was on the receiving end of a “Liverpool kiss” while walking down the street in daylight. He said: “As he was scuttling away, amidst all the ‘F this’ and ‘F that’, was ‘You deserve it because of all the things you’ve said.’ I think it was pretty clear it was ... politically motivated violence.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The two-month same-sex marriage voting process began last week and there have been several reports of violence, including a cafe threatened with arson.
But today, the 38-year-old man charged with assault told the Hobart Mercury there was nothing political about the attack. Anarchist DJ Astro Labe said he was drinking in the afternoon when he spotted Abbott, for whom he said he harbours a “personal hatred”.
Labe said his friend gave him the same-sex marriage sticker and he didn't mean to bring the Yes vote into it.
“It was nothing really remotely to do with that. It’s just about Tony Abbott, the f***ing worm that he is,” Labe said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c***.”
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
How will Fed rate cuts affect the housing market?
the explainer An anticipated series of Federal Reserve cuts could impact mortgage rates
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations