CANBERRA, Australia – An Australian senator has been censured by his colleagues for seeking to blame the victims of last month's mosque shootings and vilify Muslims.
Sen. Fraser Anning was the target of widespread condemnation for blaming the attack in New Zealand on immigration policies. He faced more criticism later for physically striking a teenager who cracked a raw egg on his head in a viral incident in Melbourne.
Government and opposition lawmakers moved the censure motion against Anning on Wednesday for divisive comments "seeking to attribute blame to victims of a horrific crime and to vilify people on the basis of religion, which do not reflect the opinions of the Australian Senate or the Australian people."
Anning has dismissed the censure motion as a "blatant attack on free speech."