Cops intervene as masked men rally in support of 'looksmaxxer' Clavicular in Melbourne after he was charged with rape
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A group of masked men has taken to Melbourne's streets in support of viral 'looksmaxxing' influencer Clavicular, who is facing allegations of raping and drugging a minor.
The hooded protesters descended on the steps of Melbourne's State Library on Sunday afternoon in support of Clavicular, real name Braden Peters, after he was charged earlier this month.
Footage seen by the Daily Mail shows the eight-strong group unfurling a 'Free Clav' banner on the library steps before counter-protesters intervened.
A scuffle broke out as the counter-protesters tried to pull down the banner while chanting: 'Off our streets, Nazi scum!'
As police moved in to disperse the hooded group, counter-protesters could also be heard yelling: 'Go back to your mummy. Go back to Instagram.'
News of the Melbourne protest quickly spread on social media, with many questioning why Australians were demonstrating in support of an American influencer thousands of kilometres away.
'Free Clav? Isn't Clav from America? Why are they protesting in Australia? What can we do?' one supporter commented.
Another person said: 'Man, it's really a symptom of how chronically online we all are that some dumb c*** American TikToker has enough influence to be causing protests at our beautiful State Library.'
A group of masked men has taken to Melbourne's streets in support of viral 'looksmaxxing' influencer Clavicular
Clavicular, whose real name is Branden Peters, has been charged with rape in connection to a May 2025 incident
Victoria Police are seen intervening as protesters and counter-protesters clash
Peters, 20, was charged with rape, drugging a person for sexual intercourse, and procuring alcohol for someone under 21, according to a criminal complaint issued on September 8. He is slated to be arraigned in a state court in Orleans, Massachusetts, on October 14.
His spokesperson, Mitchell Jackson, said the accuser had previously filed a lawsuit against Peters. He said the accuser and her attorney went to police after Peters moved to dismiss the case and 'refused to pay money.'
According to court documents, Peters' accuser went to police in Chatham to report him on June 4.
She told police the two had initially messaged each other on Instagram, and he later paid her to appear in 'looksmaxxing' videos he produced.
The accuser, whose name was redacted from the charging documents, said that after about a week of talking, Peters ordered her an Uber to his family's residence in Chatham on May 23, 2025.
According to the police report, the accuser said Peters was aware she was 17 but told her to lie on a livestream he was recording on Twitch and say she was 18, and that the vodka he gave her was water.
The girl told police she became increasingly intoxicated. In a clip from Peters' livestream reviewed by police, the girl at one point said, 'wait I'm so drunk' before the two kissed, according to the police report.
She said she later fell asleep in Peters' bed and woke up the next morning to him 'having sex with me' without her consent.
Peters has become a prominent face of the 'looksmaxxing' trend
If convicted of rape, Peters faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender.
'Looksmaxxing' is an online subculture focused on maximising physical attractiveness.
Peters has become a prominent face of the trend, garnering a large following on social media platforms such as TikTok and becoming known for endorsing the practice of breaking facial bones with a hammer to have them grow back stronger, which medical experts advise against.
If convicted of rape, Peters faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender.
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