Aussie Conservative Andrew Bolt Fights Off Antifa Ambush

The video shows Bolt immediately responding with a haymaker, being pushed into a pole and falling over chairs and tables outside the restaurant. But he recovered quickly and charged his assailants, kicking and punching one of them in the face and groin before they scurried away.

Bolt explained his reason for punching back:

We must intimidate and humiliate the enemies of free speech, and not let them intimidate and humiliate us.

The video was taken by a photographer at the scene “who claims he wasn’t part of the ambush.” But Bolt says he “has trouble believing him”:

How come he was so well placed?

Why did he run away when the attackers did?

Why didn’t he offer help or tell me he had the vision?

He said on Thursday morning that he would pursue a monetary settlement from his attackers, as well as a donation to a charity of his choice, if and when police nab them.

Via the Australian:

“I’m not a brawler,” he said. “I had one bruised knuckle and I don’t care a stuff about it. I had a suit ruined and I want every cent of that paid back. And I want a hefty donation to a charity of my choice.”

Melbourne Antifa, a loose collection of left-wing activists united behind “anti-fascist action”, appeared to claim a role in the incident, posting on Facebook that “some of our family in solidarity were attacked by Andrew Bolt while they were protesting today”.

The group argued Bolt should be imprisoned for his “violent, horrendous language”.

Bolt told Fairfax Media the attack was the latest in a long line of threats to the safety of himself, his family and other conservatives in his home city.

“I am sick of people trying to intimidate me, trying to threaten me,” he said. “I’m sick of the threats on my life and my reputation. I’m sick of being sued and bullied and I’m not going to take it. I’m just not going to take it.

“We should be free to have a debate and to walk down the street without fear of being attacked.

“The right to free speech has to be better protected — everywhere but particularly in Melbourne. It is ridiculous how dangerous it is for conservatives in this town to speak out.

“If you don’t like what I say just prove me wrong. Don’t threaten me, don’t threaten my house, don’t threaten my family, don’t abuse me — just argue with me.

“It must be a question of the principle and not the side.”

In his column at the Herald Sun Wednesday, Bolt said, “this must stop”:

It must not be this dangerous for conservatives to speak in Melbourne, while bullies escape punishment and the media Left yawns.

The Leftist fascists who attacked me seemed to count on this cost-free thuggery working yet again.

One even brought his fancy camera to shoot and post every moment of my expected humiliation.

Well, I resolved that if anyone was going to be humiliated, it was them.

I hit the head of one so hard that my knuckles are still tender, and when he was down, legs sprawled apart, I kicked.

Post that footage, moron.

And I plead self defence. I still didn’t know how many other attackers I had to fight.

If I make a fuss about how I clobbered these buggers until they limped off, it is for this purpose: they, not me, must end up humiliated.

They, not me, must be the poor dears fielding anxious inquiries about their injuries.

On the Bolt Report, the commentator explained that it was “bad luck for them because I don’t do running and hiding.” He said that police were looking for three individuals: a young man with “a big bruise on the left side of his face and another bruise between his legs” (about which he said, “I apologize, I guess, but I don’t really fight nice when I’m pushed too far”), another man who ran too fast for him to catch, and the cameraman, “who loitered inside the restaurant for half an hour” waiting for him.