Melbourne Activists Traumatized After Violent Attack at Camp Sovereignty

Activists at Melbourne’s Camp Sovereignty say they have been left deeply shaken after a member of their group was violently assaulted at the First Nations protest site on Sunday night. The incident marks the second alleged attack at the camp within a year, intensifying concerns about safety for those maintaining the long‑running Indigenous sovereignty vigil.

Ash Ni Mara, 37, a Gunai, Gunditjmara and Palawa person, was allegedly set upon by two strangers who entered the site and attempted to extinguish the sacred fire a central element of the protest. Ash described feeling “shattered and scattered and quite bruised” following the confrontation.

According to witnesses, the female intruder began filming on her phone while the male started pulling wood from the sacred fire and throwing it around. Ash said they were sitting with a pregnant sister and an elderly aunty with mobility issues when the disturbance began, prompting them to intervene.

According to witnesses, the female intruder began filming on her phone while the male started pulling wood from the sacred fire and throwing it around. Ash said they were sitting with a pregnant sister and an elderly aunty with mobility issues when the disturbance began, prompting them to intervene.

Ash approached the man and asked what he was doing. “He said it was an illegal fire,” Ash recalled. Moments later, Ash was allegedly dragged six metres, placed in a headlock, and repeatedly hit an ordeal that has left the community traumatised and demanding stronger protections.

The attack has reignited calls for greater respect and safety for First Nations protest sites, with activists stressing that Camp Sovereignty remains a peaceful space dedicated to cultural survival, resistance, and truth‑telling.