This Street Performer Who Was Harassed By White Nationalists Has Returned To Work

A Melbourne street performer who was harassed by a group of white nationalists has returned to work, telling a large group of supporters that “do good in this world and good will happen”.

Daniel Oldaker, who performs in Melbourne under the name Dandyman, was targeted by members of the far-right True Blue Crew on Sunday afternoon while he was putting on a circus show in Federation Square.

The group of men, who were in the city for one of their pathetic little rallies, approached Oldaker, who was performing in a skintight pink unitard, and verbally abused him, calling him a “degenerate” and a “paedophile”. They also filmed the incident and posted footage of it on social media.

A number of audience members stepped in to defend Oldaker while he shouted for police assistance. Officers eventually intervened and asked the men to move on.

Despite the ugly confrontation, the veteran street performer was back at work on Tuesday cheered on by family members and friends from the local theatre, circus and comedy community.

Speaking to ArtsHub, Oldaker said his decision to return to Federation Square was about “reclaiming space and not being scared to come into a public space”.

“The culture that’s been cultivated in Melbourne through street performance is one of the reasons why it’s one of the world’s most liveable cities,” Oldaker said.

Oldaker also appeared on Tuesday night’s episode of The Project, where he told the panel he was “a little bit shaken” by the experience, but that he intended to keep performing.

“There’s hope in the world, and I need to be optimistic,” he said. “I want the people of Melbourne to feel comfortable in our beautiful city.”

We speak to the brave Melbourne street performer who was targeted by a right-wing group leader. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/3znWHqoVJb

— The Project (@theprojecttv) June 26, 2018