Politicians, Community Groups Condemn Sydney’s Anti-Immigration Rally

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the concerns of “good people” were exploited by neo-Nazis at the weekend’s anti-immigration rallies, as politicians and other justice-based groups come forward to condemn the protests.

Parliamentarians spent Monday attempting to agree on a written motion to condemn the involvement of extremist far-right groups in the weekend’s rallies, but rejected Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi’s motion to specifically label the marches as “racist, white supremacist” gatherings.

An amended version of the motion from Labor holding a similar sentiment was ultimately passed, but with softened language.

On the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing on Monday, Albanese said the rallies had been attended by some “good people”, who had their motivations exploited by Neo-Nazi organisers.

“I’d just say to people, and I have no doubt that there would have been good people who went along, heard about a rally, concerned [about social problems],” he said. “Have a look at who you were with on Sunday.

“The motivation that they have, which isn’t actually about housing or our economy or anything else, it’s about sowing division. Neo-Nazis have no role.”

NSW Police said an estimated 15,000 people attended the rally in Sydney on Sunday, with protesters marching from from Belmore Park next to Central Station, to Victoria Park in Camperdown.

The rally, along with concurrent others held across the country, were promoted by prominent neo-Nazi figures and aligned groups, such as the National Socialist Network.

During an open mic portion of the event, 30 black-clad NSN members led a chant of “heil Australia” and “blood and honour”, to mixed responses from the crowd. Some attendees booed the men as they left.

One of the rally’s organisers, who goes by Bec Freedom online, said the extremist group hadn’t been invited to speak at the event.

“They took part in the open mic section after the designated speakers,” she said. “The March For Australia events were for all Australians, no one was banned from attending.”

Community groups name white supremacy in rally motivations

NSW Premier Chris Minns joined federal parliamentarians in speaking out against the rallies, and warned that those who “indulge” in racism were “subject to the full force of the law”.

“I just want to say, if you go to a rally and the Nazis turn up, it’s not one you should be at, and no one can deny that they were there,” he told reporters on Monday. “No one can deny that racist language was used. I mean, we can have civil debates about policy issues that affect the country, but this tipped into far more than that.”

Community and justice-based advocacy groups haven’t minced words on the matter, and echo Faruqi’s sentiment that the rallies were fuelled by white supremacy.

Jamal Hakim, Board Chairperson of national racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour, warned against treating the protests as harmless.

“These groups are attempting to exploit genuine concerns from all Australians about issues like the cost of living, job security and housing affordability, and instead of addressing the real causes, they are scapegoating migrants and people of colour,” he said. “This is a tactic as old as racism itself, and it is a dangerous one.”

“Australia has a long and proud history of migration. Migrants have built our economy, enriched our culture, and strengthened our communities. Yet once again, we are seeing the same tired politics of fear being used to divide us.”

The group said the marches are the direct result of a political environment in which anti-immigrant sentiment is actively encouraged.

“The rhetoric on our streets this weekend might as well have been accompanied by swastikas — the message was the same. This is the same scapegoating and mobilisation we saw in Europe in the 1930s. To see fascists emboldened in Australia today, protected and platformed, should be a wake-up call to every Australian who values democracy and human dignity.”

Democracy in Colour, along with signatories from Arab Council Australia, Asian Australians for Climate Solutions, Browns for Better, Multicultural Leadership Initiative, and the Trans Justice Project, called on Australians to stand against the rallies and reject the political dog-whistling behind it.