Pies probe racist slurs on Yarran

Carlton star Chris Yarran in action on Sunday. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has mooted league-imposed bans on fans found guilty of severe cases of racial abuse towards players.

Demetriou said he supported Collingwood in its investigation following allegations two members abused Carlton player Chris Yarran during last Sunday's blockbuster at the MCG.

"If there is anyone in the crowd that thinks it's OK in this day and age they will be dealt with if there was proof," Demetriou told 3AW this morning.

"If it was very severe then the AFL might take action... we might prevent someone from going to the football for some period of time."

It is claimed that one of the men called Yarran a "petrol sniffer" and the other said he was a "black ----" after he scored a goal.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said last night the club had launched an investigation after receiving a formal complaint from a Magpie member that offensive language was used towards a Carlton player.

"We have been advised of the seat numbers of the two club members who allegedly racially vilified the Carlton player," Pert said.

The alleged slurs happened during Sunday's AFL match between Collingwood and Carlton. Photo: Getty Images

"Several members of the crowd have claimed the language was highly offensive and we are now making contact with other members who may have been within earshot. I would encourage anyone who was at the game and witness to the alleged behaviour to contact the club.

"Our position on vilification is absolute. If the allegations are proven, memberships of the offenders will be cancelled indefinitely."

The Magpies have zero tolerance to racism and withdrew the membership of a 20-year-old who called Nigerian-born Gold Coast player Joel Wilkinson a "monkey" during a game at the MCG last July.

Collingwood member Ray Stewart, with wife Jacqui, labelled the slurs "disgraceful". Picture: Jon Hargest

Magpie Dale Thomas pledged his support to Wilkinson as they walked off the ground and then lodged an official complaint.

Another Collingwood member, Ray Stewart, said yesterday he contacted the complaint line at the MCG on Sunday to report the racial abuse and, while MCC security staff and police spoke to a person, they did not ask him to leave the ground because it is understood they could not positively identify him.

Mr Stewart, who was with a group of friends and family, said the offending person always sat in the same reserved seat in an area set aside for Collingwood members at home games.

"I was disgusted that he wasn't escorted out," he said.

"The security and police never asked anyone their opinion. It's just so wrong."

Mr Stewart said he was about three metres away from the man at the time.

"People like this should not be allowed to go to another footy game . . . it was just so disgraceful," he said.

Mr Stewart said the man, aged about 50, was wearing football shorts, a T-shirt and thongs.

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Protesters call MP Wilders a racist

Protesters against Dutch MP Geert Wilders appearance in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski Source: Herald Sun

PROTESTERS have pushed people to the ground as they tried to stop a Melbourne speech by controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders.

A group of about 40 protesters blocked the gate leading into the Somerton function centre and were seen physically stopping people from entering, even pushing some people to the ground, as they chanted.

A large number of police, including mounted police, were on scene but have made no attempts to move them on.

Mr Wilders is due to give a speech at the venue as the first part of his Australian tour.

The right-wing MP wants a ban on Islamic immigration and says the religion is incompatible with freedom, but he insists he's not trying to incite violence or insult people during his Australian visit.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders says Australia should not be scared of him.

The protesters say Mr Wilders is a racist.

Organisers had tried to keep the venue for the speech a secret to avoid protests.

Earlier, speaking in Melbourne at his first Australian press conference amid tight security, Mr Wilders said Islam could not integrate into western societies.

"Islam is totalitarianism ... Islam and freedom are incompatible," he said.

Protesters against Dutch MP Geert Wilders appearance in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Despite threats of protests, no demonstrators attended the press conference, which was held in the outer western suburbs.

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About a dozen security guards were present, including personnel from the Netherlands.

Mr Wilders said mass migration from Islamic countries to Western nations should be stopped, except for certain humanitarian cases.

Protesters against Dutch MP Geert Wilders appearance in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

"If a homosexual who is taken to jail or threatened to be killed in Iran or a Christian that is mistreated in so many countries today in the Middle East ... when it comes to asylum seekers it's a different story,'' he said.

Mr Wilders said he wasn’t in the business of insulting people or inciting hatred, but he made derogatory remarks about the prophet Mohammed .

"We have to be able to talk in a free society about the character of Mohammed," he said.

"Mohammed  was a warlord, a terrorist, a paedophile, and I would not say that if not today 1.5 billion people believe that Mohammed is the best example to follow.

Protesters against Dutch MP Geert Wilders appearance in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“It would be totally ridiculous to suggest that they are all following the example, but in the ideology the Koran is the word of God and the life of Mohammed ... is the person that they should copy, that they should try to follow.”

Mr Wilders said that those stopped from migrating from countries such as Lebanon would include Christians.

But an organiser of the MP's visit, Andrew Horwood from the Q Society, interjected to say that the situation in the Netherlands was different to Australia.

"We don't have a policy of stopping people coming to this country, we welcome people coming to this country, we ask them to obey our laws,'' Mr Horwood said.

"What's happening in the Netherlands can be different, we're just hearing from some of the experiences, we're not asking that they all happen here.''

Louise O’Shea, spokeswoman for groups opposing Mr Wilders, had earlier warned that protesters would picket tonight’s meeting.

"We want to make sure that anti-racist voices are heard, and that it is clear to people affected by racism and to those who oppose it here and around the world that there is strong opposition to Wilders' message of hate," she said.

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