POLICE are reviewing footage from a white supremacy march that held up lunchtime traffic in Sturt Street on December 3. A police spokesperson said the march was unexpected but there had been no major incidents during the demonstration. The march coincided with Eureka Day commemorations and started from the Eureka Stockade Gardens, outside the museum. This comes one year out from the 170th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade, which is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in Australian democracy. It was not until protesters reached Sturt Street that the march significantly disrupted traffic with the march taking to the road, up to Doveton Street before turning back around. All wore black, head to tow, with only the leader showing his face. Dozens marched under a banner and were shouting as they walked. A police spokesperson confirmed any vision, including CCTV footage, would be reviewed "as a matter of course". Police followed the march through central Ballarat. "Our top priority was keeping the peace to ensure the event did not impact the safety of the broader community," the police statement read. "Everyone has the right to feel safe in our community regardless of who they are. "We understand incidents of anti-Semitism can leave communities feeling targeted, threatened and vulnerable. "Hate and prejudice has no place in our society." The Courier understands the march did not impact annual Eureka Day activities, including a morning ceremony and afternoon picnic. Eureka Day commemorates the Eureka Stockade showdown between miners and colonial military forces on the Ballarat goldfields.
