In opening submissions, prominent defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, representing Deeming, said “no educated person with a functioning mind” would have found her client was a Nazi sympathiser because of her attendance at a Let Women Speak rally.
Despite video evidence and the pleas from rally organisers and attendees, Chrysanthou alleged Pesutto “tarred” Deeming with “the Nazi brush” by not only dropping her from the party but also making comments to media that suggested she supported the neo-Nazis.
“The allegation my client was in any way blame-worthy for the conduct of these men … only has to be thought about for a few seconds to be considered nonsensical,” Chrysanthou said.
“They’re not supporting the women who are trying to speak; they’re interfering with it. They’re doing the opposite of letting women speak, they’re stopping women from speaking,” Chrysanthou said.
In a 3AW interview that same month, Pesutto claimed Deeming had associations with protester organisers who had “known links with Nazis”. He allegedly made similar inferences over documents, press conferences, and media interviews about the rally.
The hearing continues.
Source: Women’s rally link to Nazis is ‘nonsensical’, Deeming’s barrister says – Lawyers Weekly