Premier Jacinta Allan had to abruptly end a press conference in West Melbourne after Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell interrupted the event. Ms. Allan was addressing the media when Mr. Sewell, accompanied by an associate, began shouting insults and accusations at her. In response, Ms. Allan quickly exited the area while security personnel attempted to block the two men.

During his outburst, Mr. Sewell made false claims, asserting that Australians do not have the right to protest. He also called Ms. Allan a "coward." Additionally, he claimed that 50,000 people protested against immigration over the weekend, although it was unclear whether he was referring to one city or multiple locations. In contrast, Victoria Police estimated that around 5,000 attended the demonstration in Melbourne.

Despite his claims about the right to protest, Mr. Sewell had previously been given a microphone at a separate event in Melbourne, where he addressed crowds from the steps of Victorian Parliament. That demonstration turned violent, resulting in 12 arrests. Video footage showed Mr. Sewell involved in an attack by far-right demonstrators on the Camp Sovereignty First Nations protest camp, prompting calls for an investigation into the incident as a hate crime.

Mr. Sewell described his appearance at the press conference as a "coincidence," stating he was on his way to court. He is currently facing charges for intimidating a police officer and breaching an intervention order by publishing material about the officer online.

Earlier in her press conference, Ms. Allan condemned the violence that occurred during the weekend in Melbourne's central business district. "There is absolutely no place for that," she stated. She announced plans to convene the anti-hate task force to examine the weekend's incidents and address the underlying issues contributing to societal division. "There is something deeper going on here, and it goes to that sense of security and particularly people's sense of economic security that is being exploited by a small number of people who are wanting to use cracks in our society and exploit them to drive division in our society," she added.

Victoria's Parliament is currently discussing changes to protest laws, which focus on regulations such as face coverings but do not aim to eliminate the right to protest. The new Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police has previously ruled out the introduction of a protest permit system.