A volunteer for the Trumpet of Patriots (TOP) political party was assaulted at a Melbourne pre-poll booth on Thursday, in an incident caught on camera by bystanders.
The footage, shared on social media by journalist Rukshan Fernando, shows a cyclist physically attacking the volunteer, throwing punches and kicks during a heated confrontation over immigration policy.
The altercation appears to have begun after the man vocally opposed TOP’s stance on reducing immigration, shouting that “Australia was built on multiculturalism” and accusing others of racism for advocating cuts to immigration levels.
It remains unclear whether the assailant was at the polling location to vote or as part of an organised protest.
Just in: A Trumpet of Patriots volunteer has been punched and kicked at Melbourne Pre-Poll Booth. Video taken by bystanders shows the man was opposed TOP's plan to cut mass immigration by record levels in Australia. The man can be heard yelling Australia was built on… pic.twitter.com/P8iWERZJ7f
— Rukshan Fernando (@therealrukshan) May 1, 2025
The Trumpet of Patriots, an Australian political party led by Clive Palmer, is calling for an 80% reduction in immigration, citing strain on Australia’s housing, healthcare, and transport infrastructure.
They argue that excessive migration has overwhelmed key systems and driven up costs for working Australians. The party has also criticised both major political parties for relying on the economic contributions of migrants to mask broader fiscal failures.
In response to the incident, Senator Ralph Babet of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, issued a stark warning about the current state of Australian politics. “Australia is standing on the edge of political chaos,” he declared. “The left has spiralled into extremism, their actions increasingly aggressive and intolerant.
“They lack the ability to reason or engage with anyone whose views fall outside their narrow worldview.
“Their rhetoric and actions have become dangerous, pushing us closer to a tipping point. With political and social division at an all-time high, the possibility of civil unrest is real,” the Senator said.
“We are witnessing the breakdown of civility and reason. If we don’t reclaim our country, the future could very well see the rise of political terrorism, and with it, the risk of civil war within our lifetime.
“This isn’t alarmism – it’s the reality we face if we don’t resist the left.”
Senator Babet further affirmed his party’s resolve, stating, “The Trumpet of Patriots and the United Australia Party will never bow to the radical left. We will not be silenced. We will meet them head-on and defend Australia with everything we’ve got. No matter how hard they try to tear this nation down – they will not defeat us.”
Caldron Pool Senior Writer Rod Lampard responded to the incident, rejecting the claim that Australia was built on multiculturalism. Lampard asserted that the nation was built by “hard-working men and women who signed on to become Australians, defend Australia, and integrate with Australia’s Anglo-Christian-British heritage.”
“Stating this historical fact isn’t racist,” Lampard said. “Multiethnic social cohesion cannot survive multiculturalism. The latter is the globalist antithesis of E Pluribus Unum — ‘Out of many, one.’”
