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March for Australia rallies drew thousands in Sydney and other cities, sparking government condemnation over neo-Nazi links and counter-protests by activists.
Demonstrators carry Australian flags during the ‘March for Australia’ anti-immigration rally, in Sydney, Australia (Reuters)
Thousands of Australians stormed the streets to take part in anti-immigration rallies on Sunday, which the centre-left government denounced as divisive events linked to neo-Nazi groups.
Organised under the banner of March for Australia, the protests and rallies against immigration were held in Sydney and other state capitals and regional centres, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, according to the group’s website.
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“Mass migration has torn at the bonds that held our communities together,” the website stated, adding in a post on X that the rallies sought to do “what the mainstream politicians never have the courage to do: demand an end to mass immigration.”
Politicians are scared of March For Australia like nothing else, because it shows them up as useless suits who have made a career of pretending to represent Australians – and now they’ve been caught with their pants down because the public is finally organising without them.… https://t.co/Mk0WyJS3ES— March for Australia (@marchforaus) August 30, 2025
The group also expressed concern about culture, wages, traffic, housing, water supply, environmental destruction, infrastructure, hospitals, crime, and the loss of community.
Promotional material for the rallies included flyers that targeted Indian-born residents, who form over 3% of the country’s population, with their numbers having doubled from 2013 to 2023 to around 8.5 lakh (as per the latest census).
“More Indians in 5 years, than Greeks and Italians in 100… This isn’t a slight cultural change – it’s replacement plain and simple,” the placard read.
Australia – where one in two people is either born overseas or has a parent born overseas – has been grappling with a rise in right-wing extremism, including protests by neo-Nazis, reported news agency Reuters.
Government Condemns Protests
Meanwhile, the government has condemned the anti-immigration rally, warning that it was linked to neo-Nazi groups and aimed at spreading hate rather than fostering social harmony.
“We absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally that’s going on today. It is not about increasing social harmony,” Murray Watt, a senior minister in the Labor government, told Sky News, adding, “We don’t support rallies like this that are about spreading hate and that are about dividing our community. These are ‘organised and promoted’ by neo-Nazi groups.”
Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, was quoted as saying, “There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion. Nothing could be less Australian.”
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly said, “Multiculturalism is an integral and valued part of our national identity. We stand with all Australians, no matter where they were born, against those who seek to divide us and who seek to intimidate migrant communities. We will not be intimidated. This brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism has no place in modern Australia.”
Counter-Protesters Express ’Disgust, Anger’
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, between 5,000 and 8,000 people had gathered for the rally 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.
The organisers, who describe mass migration as tearing at Australia’s social fabric, said the rallies were meant to “demand an end to mass immigration.”
They did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the neo-Nazi claims.
Police said hundreds of officers were deployed across Sydney in an operation that ended “with no significant incidents”.
A counter-protest organised by the Refugee Action Coalition took place nearby, with organisers saying hundreds turned out to oppose the march. “Our event shows the depth of disgust and anger about the far-right agenda of March For Australia,” the coalition said in a statement.
Similar rallies were staged in Melbourne, where aerial footage showed large crowds, while veteran lawmaker Bob Katter faced backlash after threatening a reporter when asked about his attendance at one of the marches.
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 organisations.
(With inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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