Protests in Australia: Thousands march in Sydney protesting immigrants; refugee group holds counter rally

Thousands of Australians on Sunday participated in anti-immigration demonstrations nationwide, which the center-left government denounced as being associated with neo-Nazis and intended to incite hatred. According to the group’s website, March for Australia marches against immigration took place in Sydney as well as other state capitals and rural hubs.According to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, between 5,000 and 8,000 people had gathered for the event in Sydney, many of them wearing Australian flags. It took place close to the Sydney Marathon track, where 35,000 racers ran through the streets on Sunday before coming to a stop at the Opera House.”Mass migration has torn at the bonds that held our communities together,” according to the website. The rally’s goal, the group wrote on X on Saturday, was to accomplish “what the mainstream politicians never have the courage to do: demand an end to mass immigration.” In addition, the group claims that it is worried about infrastructure, hospitals, crime, wages, traffic, housing and water supply, culture, and the loss of community. Right-wing extremism, including neo-Nazi protests, has been on the rise in Australia, a country where one in two people was born abroad or has an overseas parent. “We vehemently oppose today’s March for Australia demonstration,” said Murray Watt, a senior minister in the Labor government. When questioned about the protest in Sydney, the nation’s most populous city, he told Sky News television that it is not about fostering more social harmony.Watt stated that the demonstrations were “organized and promoted” by neo-Nazi organizations. “We don’t support rallies like this that are about spreading hate and that are about dividing our community,” Watt added. A request for response to the neo-Nazi allegations was not immediately answered by the March for Australia organizers.Following a series of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings, and vehicles since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, laws in Australia this year prohibited the Nazi salute and the sale or display of symbols linked to terrorist organizations. ‘Disgust and anger’ shared by counter protestersA counter-rally organized by the neighborhood activist group Refugee Action Coalition also happened close by.Hundreds attended the event, according to the organizers. In a statement, a coalition spokesperson said, “Our event demonstrates the depth of disgust and anger about the far-right agenda of March For Australia.” According to the police, the operation concluded “with no significant incidents” after hundreds of policemen were deployed throughout Sydney.