iStock/chelovek(MELBOURNE, Australia) — An Australian lawmaker who has been condemned for making anti-immigration remarks hours after the New Zealand mosque attacks had egg on his face on Saturday. Literally.
Fraser Anning, 69, a far-right Queensland senator, was speaking to reporters in Melbourne when a 17-year-old boy cracked a raw egg against the politician’s head, video of the incident shows. The footage quickly went viral on social media, where he was given the nickname “eggboy.”
Anning immediately punched back at the teen as egg yolk skittled down his face, the video showed. He also attempted to get a few kicks in before being fully restrained. Others in attendance, meanwhile, appeared to hold down the teen in a chokehold.
Victoria police took the teen into custody before releasing him without charges, but are investigating the incident, according to local media reports. The police were not immediately available for comment.
Anning, who is known for anti-immigration language, immediately blamed the New Zealand attacks on Muslim immigration. In the past, he has invoked Nazi language of a “final solution” to combat Muslim immigration to Australia.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison called Anning’s inflammatory comments blaming the Islamic community “appalling and ugly.”
“I would normally not want to give this any oxygen, but I want to absolutely and completely denounce the statements made by Senator Anning…on this horrendous terrorist attack, with issues of immigration, in his attack on Islamic faith specifically,” Morrison said, adding that his government would censure the senator.
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