EXCLUSIVE
A young woman who wore clown make-up while wearing an Australian Defence Force cadet uniform at anti-war protests in Melbourne has been criticised for disrespecting diggers.
The woman, who calls herself Nikki on social media, was one of about 1,200 anti-war protesters who gathered at the Land Forces 2024 arms fair at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Wednesday morning.
She was filmed in the background of a live news item, staring straight into the camera lens and casually eating a croissant.
Her cadet uniform was adorned with a badge that read “Zionism is Terrorism.”
At one point she ran up to Sky News reporter Georgie Dickerson and shouted: “You are complicit in genocide!”
Her appearance in the uniform of an Australian Air Force cadet sparked outrage, with online commentators calling for her immediate removal from the youth military program.
“This is absolutely appalling! The behaviour displayed here is completely unacceptable and deeply disturbing,” one person said angrily.
‘Is this really the standard of individuals the ADF recruits? It is a dispiriting 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 kind of behavior is a disgrace to an institution that should uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.’
The woman (pictured right), who calls herself Nikki on social media, was one of about 1,200 anti-war protesters who gathered at the Land Forces 2024 arms fair
Nikki, for her part, was undeterred by the criticism, describing her performance to SkyNews as “iconic” (she is pictured 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 bloody disrespectful and needs to be addressed.”
“When you put on the uniform, whether you are a cadet, OOC or ADF, you leave all political and personal opinions at home.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Australian Air Force cadets.
Nikki told Daily Mail Australia she was not a cadet when asked for comment.
“F*** Israel, f*** the news, f*** the system, f*** cadets, f*** the ADF,” she replied, followed by a love heart emoji.
She was undeterred by the criticism, calling her appearance on SkyNews “iconic”.
She complained on social media that “stupid, brainwashed cadets tell me I’m a disgrace because I wear the ADF (Australian Defence Force) uniform, when in reality they support the murderers.”
She doubled down on criticism by posting a selfie of herself in the same cadet uniform, but with even more clown makeup and plastic goggles on her head.
She had updated her uniform with additional stickers that read “Air Force F****,” “Killer Rank,” and “FCK ISRL.”
Scenes at Wednesday’s protests quickly turned grim, with some calling them the worst riots in history.
Two dozen officers required medical treatment, while 33 protesters were arrested for various offences, including arson and assault on police.
Nikki, whose online biography reads “have values, be kind, free Palestine,” describes herself as a “Persian cosplayer” and in an online profile advocates for a “Free Iran.”
On Thursday morning she posted another story saying, “Thank you, anonymous cadets, for your support.
“I’ll keep you guys anonymous, but let’s fuck them from the inside.”
During the violent protest, demonstrators set fire to trash cans and threw horse manure, rocks, rotten apples and even acid at police.
Riot police responded with rubber bullets and pepper spray.
Scenes at Wednesday’s protests quickly turned grim, with some calling it the worst riots in history.
Two dozen officers required medical treatment, while 33 protesters were arrested for various offences, including arson and assault on police.
Victoria Police Chief Shane Patton slammed the protesters, calling them “hypocrites” and claiming police were being “cautious” in their dealings with them.
Commissioner Patton said many protesters wanted to commit violence despite it being an anti-war demonstration.
Her appearance in an Australian Air Force cadet uniform sparked outrage, with online commentators calling for her immediate removal from the youth military program.
Nikki, whose online bio reads “have values, be kind, liberate Palestine,” describes herself as a “Persian cosplayer”
“They were standing there with their face coverings, balaclavas and ski masks on. There was no snow there,” he said.
He said balloons containing diluted acid were thrown at officers, causing some officers to develop skin rashes.
“One was hit with a beer bottle. One had a can of baked beans thrown at him. It was appalling behaviour,” he said.
Commissioner Patton defended the actions of his officers and rejected calls for an independent investigation into their conduct.
On Thursday morning, the protests continued with two ABC security guards can be seen live on air fighting with aggressive protesters.