Man charged over Abbott 'same sex marriage' head-butt

Tony Abbott has described how he was assaulted in Tasmania

A 38-year-old man has been charged with head-butting former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, police say.

Mr Abbott alleged a same-sex marriage campaigner assaulted him on Thursday after asking to shake his hand as he left a newspaper office in Hobart, Tasmania.

The politician is a prominent opponent to same-sex marriage, which is being voted on by Australians at the moment.

Police confirmed the man had worn a "vote yes" badge.

Mr Abbott told media on Friday the man claimed: "You deserve it because of what you've said."

Australia is holding a two-month poll on whether to allow same-sex marriage. The results of the survey, due in November, could prompt a non-binding vote in parliament.

The issue has prompted fierce debate, with Mr Abbott - who described the attack as "politically-motivated violence" - suggesting the incident in Hobart showed how nasty it had become in recent weeks.

The politician, depicted here by a street artist, has spoken out against gay marriage

"It was very disconcerting to find that the Love is Love brigade, or at least someone who was advocating a "yes" vote, should under the guise of shaking your hand actually give you a so-called Liverpool kiss," he told Sydney radio station 2GB - before assuring listeners his assailant "wasn't very good at it", having left him only with "a very, very slightly swollen lip".

The attack dominated Australian news on Friday, with both sides of politics condemning the incident.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called for a respectful debate, saying there was "zero tolerance" for violence and disrespectful conduct.

Labor leader Bill Shorten said it was "never acceptable" and Alex Greenwich, the co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality, was also quick to denounce the incident.

"There is absolutely no place for violence in the marriage equality debate," he wrote on Twitter. "This is about treating people fairly and with respect & dignity."

He told Sky News that the attacker had "nothing to do" with the Yes campaign, calling the man a "stupid clown".

Tasmania state police charged the alleged attacker with common assault on Friday afternoon. They did not make any comment on what might have motivated him.

The man was granted bail and will appear in a local court on 23 October.

Last week, a man was charged with punching the godson of former prime minister Kevin Rudd in a dispute over same-sex marriage.

Source: BBCNews