saluting neo-Nazis. The banners they march under and the hate they espouse have no place here or anywhere. The rise of far-right extremism and white nationalism has ASIO's directors 'gravely concerned', with the Australian Army today uncovering links to neo-Nazi groups within their own ranks. The alarm bells have been ringing for years. The Government needs to unblock its ears. Footage of police kneeing an anti-fascist protester in the back of the head, whilst making way for neo-Nazis to march & salute down Spring Street is deeply disturbing to watch. This is not Melbourne. Every time a powerful figure in the media or politics uses the trans community as a political football, a masked coward grows more confident. Stop. The words we say matter, so let mine be unequivocal and clear: Trans Lives Matter.
153 Between 9.45am and 10.46am, Mr Fernando published a series of tweets about the LWS rally, some of which embedded footage Mr Fernando had recorded on the previous day. These tweets are referred to at ACS [142] and [145].
154 Shortly after 9.51am, Mr Pesutto, Mr Southwick and Mr Pintos-Lopez had a conference call. Mr Pintos-Lopez deposed that he advised that they should proceed "carefully and methodically"; that they "needed to slow down and not take any action precipitously"; and that they "first needed to gather and understand all the relevant facts". His affidavit explained as follows (CB:37, 441[17]):
I said words to the effect to Mr Pesutto and Mr Southwick that we needed to manage any political and reputational implications for the Party of Mrs Deeming's attendance at the Rally and the potential connection between the Rally organisers and the neo-Nazis carefully and methodically. I said that we needed to slow down and not take any action precipitously and that we first needed to gather and understand all the relevant facts. I said words to the effect that any action that the Leadership Team might take needed to be measured and justified. I said that I did not believe that we should do anything other than gather information on the Sunday and that if any action was required, the reason to act needed to be explained to the party room and to the electorate, if necessary, during the week and prior to taking that action if any. I understood from what Mr Pesutto and Mr Southwick said following my giving them that advice that they wished to act that day rather than slowing down as I had advised.
155 At 10.46am, Mr Pesutto sent the following screenshot on WhatsApp to a group called "Leadership Media" (Ex R200; CC:298):
