Five people have been arrested during a protest outside a Melbourne CBD hotel against conservative UK politician Nigel Farage's speaking tour.
About 200 demonstrators gathered outside the Sofitel Hotel where the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party gave his last Australian tour speech.
Five people were arrested, one for criminal damage, another for riotous behaviour and a third for covering their face and assaulting police, while two others were arrested for unrelated outstanding matters, police said.
Confrontations with people trying to attend the event were aggressive and police intervened several times.
The crowd was organised by the Coalition Against Racism and Fascism (CARF).
Andrew Nolch, the man charged with defacing the Eurydice Dixon memorial after the young woman's recent rape and murder, was one of those entering the event.
Activists from the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism outside Melbourne's Sofitel Hotel. Source: AAP
Right-wing activist Neil Erikson was also seen entering.
"Nigel Farage you can't hide we can see your Nazi side" and "Nazis are racist, Muslims are not" are among the chants being yelled.
At least a hundred police officers are at the event, forming a four-officer deep barricade at the Sofitel entrance.
A protest organiser has just told the crowd the event has succeeded in reducing the attendance at the event.
