Deeming told the court she was not aware of this.

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Neo-Nazis were among several groups of protesters that stood outside parliament on March 18, 2023. On Tuesday, Deeming told the court she was not aware neo-Nazis were there until they were escorted away by police.

Sue Chrysanthou, SC, for Deeming, earlier told the court that they were an entirely separate group.

The court has been shown footage from the rally that appeared to show a police officer told Deeming early in the day that a big group of right-wing people were there. The court has also been shown tweets from others at the rally saying Nazis or fascists were there.

Deeming said she would not assume that meant neo-Nazis were there.

She disagreed that Keen-Minshull was trying to stoke division at the rally by addressing counter-protesters.

Collins read out “outrageous” things he said Keen-Minshull had said publicly. He told the court Keen-Minshull claimed trans people did not exist and were part of a “dirty fetish and a cult” and that “fascist is a new word for legend”.

He also read out comments from Keen-Minshull that he said had been publicly derided as Islamophobic and referenced a catch cry that counter-protesters and trans rights activists had been known to shout at Keen-Minshull’s rallies: “You can’t hide, you’ve got Nazis on your side.”

Deeming said she was not aware of this. Collins said it was reckless of Deeming to help organise the rally without checking Keen-Minshull’s record.

Pesutto has previously settled defamation claims from Keen-Minshull and Melbourne woman Angela Jones.

Deeming alleges Pesutto defamed her as a Nazi sympathiser, which Pesutto rejects.

The court heard Deeming engaged defamation lawyers on March 20, 2023, despite publicly maintaining she only turned to defamation once she was expelled from the party room. At the weekend, The Age revealed she was already looking at defamation in March last year.

Pesutto moved to expel her from the parliamentary Liberal Party in the days after the rally, which she had celebrated the success of that night.

Deeming was instead suspended for nine months in a last-minute compromise, before she was ultimately expelled in May after threatening to bring in lawyers.

Her cross-examination continues.

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