A young woman who wore clown makeup while dressed in an Australian Defence Force cadet uniform at anti-war protests in Melbourne has been criticised for disrespecting miners.
The woman, who calls herself Nikki on social media, was one of about 1,200 anti-war protesters who turned out for the Land Forces 2024 weapons exhibition at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Wednesday morning.
She was filmed in the background of a live news segment, staring into the camera lens while calmly eating a croissant.
His cadet uniform was adorned with a badge that read “Zionism is Terrorism.”
At one point, he ran towards Sky News journalist Georgie Dickerson and shouted: “You are complicit in genocide!”
Her appearance in the uniform of the Australian Air Force Cadets sparked fury, with online commentators calling for her to be immediately expelled from the junior military program.
“This is absolutely appalling! The behaviour being displayed is absolutely unacceptable and deeply concerning,” one person said.
“Is this really the calibre of individuals the ADF is recruiting? It is a dismal reflection on our armed forces and a sad day for all Australians when this is the calibre of those charged with defending our nation.
“This type of conduct brings shame to an institution that is supposed to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.”
The woman (pictured right), who calls herself Nikki on social media, was one of around 1,200 anti-war protesters who turned out for the Land Forces 2024 weapons exhibition.
Nikki, for her part, was undeterred by the criticism, describing her performance on SkyNews as “iconic” (she is seen returning for the second day of protests, this time wearing stickers reading “Air Force F**** and F*** ISRL”).
Another critic, who claimed to be a former cadet officer, acknowledged that young people can make “stupid decisions” but said: “This is just disrespectful and needs to be addressed.”
“When you put on the uniform, whether you’re a cadet, OOC or ADF, you leave all political and personal opinions at home.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Australian Air Force cadets.
Nikki told Daily Mail Australia she was not a cadet when asked about her comments.
“Fuck Israel, fuck the news, fuck the system, fuck the cadets, fuck the ADF,” he replied, followed by a heart emoji.
In fact, she was undeterred by the criticism, describing her performance on SkyNews as “iconic”.
He complained on social media that “brainwashed, stupid cadets are telling me I’m a disgrace for wearing the ADF uniform when in fact they are supporting the killers.”
She doubled down on the criticism by posting a selfie of herself dressed in the same cadet uniform with more clown paint and plastic glasses on her head.
He had upgraded his uniform with additional stickers that read ‘Air Force F****’, ‘Killer Rank’ and ‘FCK ISRL’.
Scenes at Wednesday’s protests quickly turned ugly, with some describing them as the worst riots in living memory.
Two dozen officers required medical treatment, while 33 protesters were arrested for various offences, including arson and assaulting police.
Nikki, whose online bio reads “have morals, be kind, free Palestine,” describes herself as a “Persian cosplayer” and in an online profile supports a “free Iran.”
On Thursday morning, he posted another story that read: ‘Thank you to the few anonymous cadets who support us.
“I’ll keep you anonymous, but we’re going to fuck them up from the inside out.”
Protesters set fire to containers and threw horse manure, stones, rotten apples and even acid at police in the violent protest.
Riot police returned fire with rubber bullets and capsicum spray.
Scenes from Wednesday’s protests quickly turned ugly, with some describing them as the worst unrest in living memory.
Two dozen officers required medical treatment, while 33 protesters were arrested on various charges including arson and assaulting police.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton lashed out at the protesters, calling them “hypocrites” and saying police had shown “restraint” in dealing with them.
Commissioner Patton said many of the protesters were intent on causing violence, despite it being an anti-war demonstration.
Her appearance in the uniform of the Australian Air Force Cadets sparked outrage, with online commentators calling for her to be immediately expelled from the junior military program.
Nikki, whose online bio reads “have morals, be kind, free Palestine,” describes herself as a “Persian cosplayer.”
“They were there with balaclavas and ski masks. There was no snow there,” he said.
He said balloons containing diluted acid were thrown at police officers, leaving some officers with rashes.
“One was hit with a beer bottle. Another was hit with a can full of beans. It was atrocious behaviour,” he said.
Commissioner Patton defended his officers’ actions and rejected calls for an independent investigation into their behavior.
On Thursday morning, the protests continued with two ABC security guards were seen scuffling with aggressive protesters on live television.