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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/22/man-charged-over-allegedly-head-butting-tony-abbott
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| Man charged over allegedly head-butting Tony Abbott | Man charged over allegedly head-butting Tony Abbott |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A man has been charged with assaulting Tony Abbott after allegedly head-butting the former prime minister in Tasmania. | A man has been charged with assaulting Tony Abbott after allegedly head-butting the former prime minister in Tasmania. |
| A 38-year-old man has been charged following the alleged incident on Hobart’s waterfront on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from police. Abbott said he was head-butted by a man wearing a “yes” badge for the same-sex marriage postal vote. | A 38-year-old man has been charged following the alleged incident on Hobart’s waterfront on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from police. Abbott said he was head-butted by a man wearing a “yes” badge for the same-sex marriage postal vote. |
| The man was charged with one count of common assault after a police investigation into a complaint made by Abbott. | The man was charged with one count of common assault after a police investigation into a complaint made by Abbott. |
| The man was granted conditional bail to appear in the Hobart magistrates court at 9.30am on 23 October. | The man was granted conditional bail to appear in the Hobart magistrates court at 9.30am on 23 October. |
| Tasmania police said they will make no further comment in relation to the matter. | Tasmania police said they will make no further comment in relation to the matter. |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has labelled the incident “disgraceful”. | |
| The Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz claimed that the alleged incident is a “harbinger” of more violence, despite conceding it is not indicative of the yes campaign generally. | |
| Marriage equality supporters have been quick to condemn the incident and denounce political violence but opponents have used it to rally against same-sex marriage. | |
| Turnbull said Australia had a tradition of respectful political debate “sometimes with strong views expressed, but without violence”. | |
| “This is one of a number, a relatively small number of incidents, but any one is one too many.” | |
| Turnbull said “of course” the incident did not undermine the yes case generally, but campaigners should recognise that if they used violent or abusive language or engaged in “violent conduct”, they were not helping their case. |