Eggs and water balloons were hurled at a group of women protesters who were speaking out against transgender people in Melbourne on Saturday.

About 20 participants from the Women’s Action Group stood on the steps of Parliament House, with signs stating ‘Trans women are men’ and ‘No male cheats in women’s sports’.

The women were outnumbered by about 150 counter-protesters who were being held back by a human police barricade on the street.

The Trans Queer Solidarity group organised its ‘Trans Liberation’ rally at the same location in response to the ‘Women Will Speak’ rally which purported to be fighting for women’s rights.

Victoria Police said a 36-year-old Brunswick woman was arrested at the scene for allegedly assaulting police and was released pending further inquiries.

In a media statement, police said the counter-protesters were “throwing eggs and water balloons at the speakers involved”.

“Victoria Police is disappointed with the actions of the group and while it supports peaceful protests it has a zero-tolerance policy for violence or disruptive acts which impact the broader community.”

A woman on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament on Saturday. Photo: YouTube (Women’s Action Group)

The ‘Women Will Speak’ rally was organised by Women’s Action Group and live-streamed on YouTube.

Footage shows a small number of mainly older women holding signs that oppose transgender women.

Participants were invited to take the microphone and address the clustered group.

Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur was first to stand on the steps and share her views, accusing her parliamentary colleagues of ‘not standing up for women”.

“When I ask the Minister for Women to confirm the definition of a woman, she can’t,” said McArthur.

“The Labor party, this Labor government, none of them will confirm the definition of a woman.”

Another speaker bluntly stated that “women don’t have penises”.

Women waved signs and took the microphone at the rally for ‘women’s rights’. Photo: YouTube (Women’s Action Group)

The Women’s Action Group’s YouTube channel states it was formed in 2019 by a small group of women from regional and rural Victoria whose motivation was “the ongoing erosion of women’s rights”.

“The members of Women’s Action Group have campaigned tirelessly, lobbying politicians to resist changes in regulation and legislation that will bring harm to women and girls,” says the blurb.

“The main focus of that founding year was to resist the changes proposed to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act that would allow “sex” self ID in Victoria.”

A recurring theme of the rally was women in sport having to compete against so-called “cheats”.