An extraordinary thing has happened in the Liberal Party in Victoria this week. The party’s state leader has moved to expel one of his own MPs because she attended and spoke at a pro-woman rally which was gatecrashed by neo-nazi protesters.

Moira Deeming, Liberal Party member for Western Metropolitan Region, attended the Let Women Speak rally in Melbourne on Saturday, hosted by Standing for Women UK, which “advocates for the reinstatement of reasonable biological sex-based rights and against the irreversible and harmful medical transitioning practices used on gender non-conforming, autistic and gay minors”.

In Moira’s words, here’s what happened at the rally:

“The event was very ably organised by Angela Jones, a left-wing, pro-gay rights Jewish woman, who liaised with Victoria Police to arrange a buffer zone between her event and any counter protestors. This is why I and the other attendees were horrified to see masked men all clad in black inside the buffer zone. We thought we were going to be attacked. However, the police did not seem worried and were talking with them over at the edge of the line. Later I saw the police seemingly usher these men right through the centre of the buffer zone in between our event and the counter protestors, which is when I saw those men raise their hands in a Hitler salute. I, along with the few others who were facing them from the front, were horrified, but relieved that the police were moving them on.”

Ms Deeming tweeted after the rally that she was disappointed that the police did not do more to protect women at the rally:

“Disappointed with Victoria Police who let a bunch of masked men into the LWS buffer zone, terrifying women who were just trying to speak about their rights. Police managed to stop hordes of TRAs, but somehow could only walk masked men past us they did a horrible Nazi salute.”

Following negative media reports about Ms Deeming and the event however, Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto said he intended to expel her from the parliamentary Liberal party. Mr Pesutto said that Ms Deeming’s position was “untenable” after her “involvement in … promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far rightwing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”.

This is now the cost of defending biological truth.

The leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria has chosen to side with those promoting an extremist agenda that denies the reality of women’s biological rights, rather than backing one of his own party members who bravely speaks up for the rights of women and girls, and whose views are shared by  millions of Australians.

There have been many who have come out in support of Moira and biological women in the past few days.

The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) has come out in support of the Let Women Speak movement

“AJA unreservedly condemns the Nazis who invaded the rally.

The Nazis were condemned by the women’s rally organisers - one contacted AJA in distress explaining what had happened. The Let Women Speak organisers  had nothing to do with the Nazis.

It is shameful that some politicians and media are now trying to smear this women’s movement  with the false accusation of involvement with Nazis”.

Katherine Deves has described the reality facing women now

“Australian women are living in an Orwellian nightmare.

Nazi gatecrash peaceful women’s rights rally aided by the police.

Aggressive, threatening & enraged anti-women activists protest us.

Women punished, smeared as hateful & aligned with Nazis.”

Sall Grover similarly expressed her dismay:

“Every woman is currently learning that if she dares speak up for herself, accurately names the biological sex of males & states her own boundaries, she will be called a TERF, a bigot, a transphobe & Nazi”.

Liberal Senator for South Australia Alex Antic also spoke up in Federal Parliament in support of Moira:

“The movement is rightfully concerned about biological men undermining the integrity of women’s sports and spaces such as bathrooms. They’re absolutely correct to be concerned. I am too”.

“It’s a shameful reflection on the lazy partisan media and our political classes that Ms Deeming would be vilified for something over which she has absolutely no control”.

“Is this the low water mark of our free speech and our democracy, to now be defined by those who gatecrash an event?”

The party room vote to expel Moira is due to be held next week.

We encourage all those concerned about this issue to call Mr Pesutto’s office to voice your support for Moira Deeming. He can be contacted here.