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.
“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c***.”
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
‘The nonviolence resulted from the organizers’ message’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN 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 citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe 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 designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
