I am a rank and file CFMMEU Construction Division member (hereafter CFMEU) and have prepared this report for the Workers Solidarity Bulletin as part of the collective process of CFMEU members -and all unionists and progressives - grappling with the violent attack on CFMEU staff and officials on September 20. My hope is to contribute to an analysis of why the attacks occurred, and how to confront the forces behind the attack. It is not my intention to use this opportunity to attack the CFMEU leadership.

Other writers have analysed the extent to which the protest of September 20 was composed of actual CFMEU members combined with reactionary, far right and neo fascist elements. Regardless of the exact proportions of who was in attendance and regardless of criticisms that one may have of certain actions the union leadership has or has not taken in recent years, physically attacking and seeking to violently intimidate elected officials and union staff, and laying siege to and trashing the CFMEU office, is absolutely unacceptable and abhorrent. At the time of writing it has become evident that in addition to being physically attacked, several CFMEU officials and staff were also infected with Covid-19 by the mostly unmasked crowd on September 20.