CONTROVERSIAL right-wing speaker Milo Yiannopoulos has slammed protesters who stormed his Melbourne event as “petulant babies”.

A heavy police presence was called in to keep attendees and protesters separate at the Flemington venue where the conservative celebrity was scheduled to speak.

Hundreds of protesters from left-aligned group Campaign Against Racism and Fascism and the right-wing True Blue Crew rallied outside the event. One officer sustained minor injuries to the lower body after being hit by a rock.

Chants of “f**k off Nazis” were yelled by anti-fascist groups. Pepper spray was used after a fight broke out between two protesters and rocks were thrown at a police van.

Speaking about the event in a radio interview on Tuesday morning, Yiannopoulos denied right-wing groups were involved in the protest, and said it was “only the left, showing us who they’re really are”.

Yiannopoulos said the protests indicated that Australia has “a serious problem with free speech”.

“It suggests something about a deeper malaise in the state. It doesn’t speak highly of the country,” he told 2GB.

Yiannopoulos admitted last night’s protest was not the first negative reception he’s had in Australia, saying he’d had venues cancel his speaking events.

“Even hotels, we can’t hurl money at hotels to allow me to stay in them,” he said. “Maybe it’s a property damage thing from the venues.”

Yiannopoulos said he had been “heartened” by the reception he had received from most Australians, but was damning of those who protested his show last night.

“The left really showed us who they are. They didn’t just come for people lining up to see my talk — they attacked the police, they attacked other people, they attacked journalists,” he said.

Yiannopoulos said those intolerant of his far-right message were “petulant babies” who “throw their toys our of the pram” and use “intimidation and bullying”.

As for his supporters in Australia, he said: “Obviously your politics are a mess and your media is a mess, but ordinary Australians seem to be getting it.”

Interviewer Alan Jones said the controversial speaker had been “marvellous”.

Last night’s clashes came as Yiannopoulos delivered three sold-out addresses to fans in Melbourne. His speaking tour continues in Sydney and the Gold Coast this week, where similar police presence is expected.

The “Nazi” chants were in reference to a video released by Buzzfeed in October which showed Yiannopoulos singing America The Beautiful at a karaoke bar and smiling while audience members including white supremacist Richard Spencer gave Nazi salutes.

At today’s clashes, supporters of the commentator were waving Trump flags and wearing red “Make America Great Again” caps.

Pepper spray was used after a fight broke out between two protesters in the middle of Racecourse Rd. Rocks were thrown at a police van and the road was closed to traffic in both directions. The last of the speaker’s sessions starts at 10pm.

Public order officers have been deployed to keep the two groups away from each other.

Promoter Damien Costas said the activists were wasting taxpayer money by protesting against the event.

“Simply because his (Yiannopoulos) views are different from the status quo,” Mr Costas said.

Milo Yiannopolous defends himself after lashing out at Karl Stefanovic and Jessica Rowe Milo Yiannopolous defends himself after lashing out at Karl Stefanovic and Jessica Rowe

It comes just days after the provocative 33-year-old, who has been deemed a “paedophile apologist” and wants Muslims “sent back to the Middle East”, breezed into Sydney slaying some of Australia’s most popular celebrities and politicians.

Yiannopoulos is in the country for his speaking tour, The Troll Academy.

He claims Australia is his largest audience outside of the United States.

Upon arrival in Sydney just five days ago, he said Australia’s response had been “very positive” towards him, almost “uniformly delighted”.

In October, Yiannopoulos — dubbed a “right-wing troll” and “internet supervillain” — said he was disappointed in the mild opposition to him ahead of his Australian tour.

Yiannopoulos was disdainful of a petition to stop him entering the country amid reports that Peter Dutton’s office considered denying him a visa.

“Very lacklustre and disappointing and ineffective,” he told news.com.au. “Six hundred people — I’m almost embarrassed to have such little opposition.

“It’s another example of the press reporting the reality they wish was true ... Australia is lagging way behind America.”

Yiannopoulos was forced to resign as senior editor at alt-right news site Breitbart in February after saying sex between adults and children was sometimes “not that big of a deal” and describing victims as “whingeing selfish brats”.

He said older men could help young boys “discover who they are” when they couldn’t speak to their parents and offered “coming of age relationships”. He later denied supporting paedophilia.

— With AAP

megan.palin@news.com.au | @Megan_Palin