Victoria Police confirmed two officers were hospitalised after being hit during Melbourne CBD confrontations, with commanders citing rocks, bottles with glass shards and rotten fruit thrown at police as officers used flash‑bangs, pepper spray and rubber bullets. Investigators are reviewing extensive CCTV and body‑worn footage, and a 30‑year‑old woman has been charged with resisting police, with authorities warning further arrests are likely. Police leaders blamed left‑wing counter‑protest groups for trying to breach lines and confront the anti‑immigration rally, while counter‑organisers accused police of excessive force and said several protesters were injured, a claim police said they could not verify. The police union renewed calls for a NSW‑style protest permit system to protect officers, but Premier Jacinta Allan ruled out permits and said a long‑flagged public‑safety package, including bans on face masks and extremist symbols, will be introduced to parliament next month. Rallies and counter‑rallies occurred across multiple capitals on Oct 19, with Melbourne seeing the sharpest violence; media identified National Socialist Network members in the anti‑immigration crowd and reported racist chants as police kept roughly 1,000 people on each side apart.
