Protesters may be banned from wearing masks and the opposition has demanded the reinstatement of "move on" laws after violent protests on Coburg streets on Saturday.

Opposition attorney-general John Pesutto said the "professional protesters" who fought each other and police on Saturday had no respect for the law, residents or property.

He said police could have used "move on" laws, introduced by the Coalition, to take action against "recidivist protesters".

"We want strong law and order in this state we don't want violent protesters thinking they can get away with this kind of behaviour," he said.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula saying Mr Pesutto's comments were "dishonest and wrong".

"The 2015 reforms only removed move-on powers as they related to peaceful and legal protests," he said.

Mr Pakula said police still had move-on powers in a range of situations, including if police suspected a person was breaching or likely to breach the peace, endangering or likely to endanger the safety of another person or to damage property and behaving in a way likely to be a danger to public safety.

He said move-on powers were still available to police on Saturday.

"But these violent protesters don't need to be moved on to another place," he said. "They need to be arrested, and that's what Victoria Police did on Saturday."

However, protesters may in future be banned from wearing masks at rallies in Victoria after Saturday's race clashes.

Seven people were arrested, and more are likely, with police launching a new taskforce to focus on racial violence.

This time the battleground was outside a library and primary school in Coburg, but police suspect many of the masked protestors have also attended previous scuffles at other race-based events in Bendigo and the CBD.

Acting Premier James Merlino said he had spoken with police about the violence and would consider any police request for additional laws.

"Those people who wear face masks, who carry weapons, who engage in violent behaviour, that is utterly unacceptable," Mr Merlino told reporters on Sunday.

"We will work closely with Victoria Police to give them the powers that they need to deal with this kind of behaviour."

Police Minister Lisa Neville said it was a "disturbing trend" to see protesters wearing  masks and balaclavas, and she said she would discuss whether they could be banned with Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton during a meeting on Monday.

"This is about people being given a licence to try and participate in criminal behaviour when they wear those masks," she told Fairfax Radio.

Senior police have already labelled those who covered their faces at the protests as "cowards".

"All they're looking for is a fight," said Commander Sharon Cowden, who announced a new taskforce to deal with the violent protesters.

"We saw inappropriate and often cowardly behaviour with people wearing masks and hiding their identity."

The rival groups have largely blamed each other for starting the violence.

But footage of one of the clashes appears to show the fight was mutual, with both anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters walking around police lines and bashing each other.

It is the latest outbreak of violence stemming from the extreme ends of politics and overshadowing what were meant to be peaceful but vocal protests over the past year.

On the one side is the anti-fascist Antifa group, along with radical socialists, anarchists and anti-racists, who frequently battle far-right protesters at these events, some who support the United Patriots Front and a newer "pro-Australian" group who called themselves the True Blue Crew.

"We take great pride in protecting the everyday Australians, who only want to speak out in defence of our nation," the True Blue Crew posted on its Facebook page.

"This is a callout to patriots out there, who like what they saw today, who are willing to stand with us against the far left-wing scum."

The United Patriots Front said members were only standing their ground until their rivals approached them.

"The idiots marched right into us not knowing what they were walking into; our boys smashed them," the group said on its Facebook page.

"These kids have hit us with violence from the beginning – and we will continue to respond in kind."

But police said there were problems from both sides.

"People need to reflect on the message they are sending our communities by committing acts of violence and inciting hatred," Victoria Police said in a statement.

"Urging violence and hatred within our community is not a form of free speech and will not be tolerated."

The new police taskforce is combing through security camera footage to hunt down the rest of the troublemakers who attended the rival protests.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

With Benjamin Preiss

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