‘Avi out’: the uncomfortable relationship between Rebel News and Australia’s anti-vaccine protesters

Last week, near the marble-clad walls of Australia's largest library, a perplexing confrontation broke out between anti-vaccination protesters and the far right's news outlet of choice, Rebel News.

One of the Convoy to Canberra members stood over Avi Yemini, Rebel News's key figure in Australia, as a small crowd and police watched on.

"I'm not going to be intimidated by you, Rebel News, or anybody else," the protester said. "We don't want you going up to people."

Others chimed in to defend Yemini.

"He's on our side," one said.

Some began to chant "Avi out! Avi out!" before vision of the incident - which Rebel News says was selectively edited to delete a chant of "Avi stay!" - cuts out.

The scene was jarring, not least because Rebel News has positioned itself as an ally of the protesters, their lone voice in an industry otherwise uniformly hated.