Violence has erupted at a protest by African immigrants and far-left activists over the fatal police shooting of a knife-wielding Somalian refugee in Melbourne last week.
About 250 protesters, including Somalian women in Islamic head coverings and hooded men with bandanas covering their faces, marched through Footscray on Tuesday while left-wing extremists wore Palestinian scarfs and carried a Black Lives Matter banner.
The group gathered near the spot where crazed homeless immigrant Abdifatah Ahmed, 35, was shot dead by two police officers on Thursday night after charging at them with a knife.
One protester takes a swing at officers before another threw a bottle towards them, causing brief anarchy at what was a peaceful demonstration @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/u7ZRUqkrfk
— Olivia Jenkins (@byoliviajenkins) April 22, 2025
A large banner held by protesters stated Ahmed was “murdered by police”, but Victoria Police have defended the officers involved, who were not equipped with Tasers, and insisted the shooting was not racially motivated as claimed by some demonstrators.
Footage taken at the end of the protest shows an African man in an ankle bracelet lunging at police and bottles being thrown, forcing police to use their baton.
Another clip showed aggressive far-left activists hurl abuse at police officers and chase after them as they fled down the street.
No arrests were made.
“Police were confronted with a small volatile crowd of around 30 people, with bottles being thrown at police,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
“Police have used defence tactics to maintain separation and prevent an escalation. Shortly after, the area was cleared and people dispersed.”
VS members joined a community rally in Footscray this afternoon demanding justice for Abdifatah Ahmed – who was shot dead by police last Thursday. Instead of ever more police and prisons, we need housing, healthcare, and all the other supports that vulnerable people rely on. pic.twitter.com/RkAO6cM6Rj
— Victorian Socialists (@vic_socialists) April 22, 2025
Far-left group the Victorian Socialists attended the protest, as did members of the Somalian and broader African communities, who criticised the shooting of Ahmed.
African Youth Collective chief executive Isaiah Alier Mashinkok said better mental health care was needed, Nine News reported.
“Our people are dying every single day and there’s no one there, as an Australian person standing up saying why are the young people dying,” he said.
Somali Community Inc president Farah Warsame claimed the African community was facing “over-policing, racial profiling and poor mental health responses”, and said Ahmed needed “care, kindness and support, not to be met with deadly force”.
But many Australians defended the police and asked why the African community never protested machete and gang crime coming from within.
This is Australia today. This is why immigration must be curbed. Ban all migration from nations where there is a high level of violent extremism. https://t.co/98naWDaDeM
— George Christensen (@NationFirstAust) April 22, 2025
“This is Australia today. This is why immigration must be curbed. Ban all migration from nations where there is a high level of violent extremism,” former MP George Christensen said in response to the violence.
“Just send this bloody lot back to where they came from. Go hijack ships and cause a ruckus in their part of the world. Sick to death of them,” said another Aussie.
“Why are they protesting over the police shooting, they don’t protest when they attack people with a machete or break into people’s houses, or steal people’s cars,” said a local on Facebook.
The fatal shooting of Ahmed came after an African man nearly bled to death after being stabbed by a machete-wielding gang during a brawl in Footscray in February, and another African man was shot by police while charging at them with a metal pole in Doveton last month.
Police launched a “show of force” with the Public Order Response Team and the Dog Squad in Footscray earlier this month amid rising community anger and complaints from local businesses that crime and anti-social behaviour was driving customers away.
Header image: Left, Violence erupts at the protest. Right, protesters hold a Black Lives Matter banner (X).
