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Australian senator egged after racist comments

Amid the controversy, an unnamed young man threw an egg at Anning during a press conference in Melbourne, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard.

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Melbourne, Australia
Sat, March 16, 2019

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Australian senator egged after racist comments Police corden off the areas close to the mosque after a gunman filmed himself firing at worshippers inside in Christchurch on March 15, 2019. - A gunman opened fire inside the Masjid al Noor mosque during afternoon prayers, causing multiple fatalities. (AFP/Flynn Foley)

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far-right Australian senator had to be restrained by security officials Saturday after punching a young man protesting his offensive comments about the Christchurch mosque attacks.

Queensland Senator Fraser Anning drew international condemnation for his efforts to blame the attack that killed 49 Muslim worshippers on immigration.

Amid the controversy, an unnamed young man threw an egg at Anning during a press conference in Melbourne, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard.

In a statement on Friday, Anning had said the attack which killed 49 Muslim worshippers in the southern New Zealand city was the result of Muslim immigration into the country. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Anning's comments as "appalling" and "ugly" with "no place in Australia", as he announced a bipartisan motion of censure would be launched.

Anning was elected in 2017 by a fluke of Australia's proportional voting system, having received only 19 first preference votes.

He is unlikely to be reelected when Australians go to the polls in a vote expected this May.

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