{"id":108341,"date":"2025-08-31T07:46:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T07:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/108341\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T07:46:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T07:46:06","slug":"neo-nazis-and-politicians-among-protesters-at-anti-immigration-march-for-australia-rallies-australian-immigration-and-asylum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/108341\/","title":{"rendered":"Neo-Nazis and politicians among protesters at anti-immigration March for Australia rallies | Australian immigration and asylum"},"content":{"rendered":"

A neo-Nazi was among speakers to address the crowd at a tense anti-immigration protest in Melbourne<\/a>, as similar demonstrations under the banner March for Australia took place in state and territory capitals across the country on Sunday.<\/p>\n

While the protests were condemned as hateful by the federal government<\/a>, some politicians attended, including the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, and party member Senator Malcolm Roberts in Canberra and the federal MP Bob Katter in Townsville.<\/p>\n

The marches were promoted by neo-Nazis<\/a>, as well as anti-lockdown figures who gained prominence during the pandemic, and other fringe groups but no group publicly claimed responsibility for organising the protests.<\/p>\n

In Melbourne protesters gathered outside Flinders Street station with many carrying Australian flags, along with placards bearing anti-immigration slogans.<\/p>\n

A counter-protest also assembled in front of the State Library of Victoria<\/a>, with the weekly pro-Palestine rally merging with an antifascist counter-demonstration to protest against the March for Australia.<\/p>\n

The March for Australia anti-immigration rally in Melbourne on Sunday. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAP<\/p>\n

Victoria police blocked off Flinders and Swanston streets to the north of the intersection, in an apparent attempt to keep two rallies apart, but they eventually met at the corner of Collins and Elizabeth streets with a barrier of police between them, three rows deep, including officers on horseback.<\/p>\n

A volatile verbal confrontation ensued, with a bottle thrown from the anti-immigration protest smashing at the feet of the antifascist demonstrators, and an open can of beer flying over the police line towards the anti-immigration march.<\/p>\n

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The antifascist demonstrators were then pushed back by police in riot gear, who pepper-sprayed approximately a dozen protesters at the front of the crowd.<\/p>\n

The anti-immigration rally eventually reached state parliament, where protesters were addressed by speakers, including the neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, who gave a speech claiming \u201chis men\u201d had led the march, and saying: \u201cIf we do not stop immigration, then our death is certain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell speaks to protesters. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAP<\/p>\n

A man with a microphone whom Guardian Australia could not identify told the crowd: \u201cAustralians are sick and tired of the rising tide of mass immigration in this country\u201d. He led a chant of \u201cAlbo must go\u201d, followed by \u201cAussie Aussie Aussie\u201d, which the crowd bellowed in unison.<\/p>\n

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan<\/a>, had earlier condemned those who \u201cwalk with Nazis\u201d and expressed concern about the anti-immigration protest while attending a multicultural gala on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one who has ever tried to divide this country has ever succeeded,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause the promise of multiculturalism is so much stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Sydney<\/a> New South Wales police deployed hundreds of officers at the annual marathon, a weekly pro-Palestine rally and the anti-immigration march, all in different parts of the city.<\/p>\n

The March for Australia rally in Sydney. Photograph: Dean Lewins\/AAP<\/p>\n

In Canberra<\/a> a crowd of what appeared to be a few hundred gathered and chanted on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin with a view of Parliament House across the lake, waving Australian flags and wearing them as capes.<\/p>\n

Hanson and Roberts were in attendance;Roberts was seen speaking with a microphone.<\/p>\n

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson at the March for Australia rally in Canberra. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/EPA<\/p>\n

A smaller counter-rally of leftwing or pro-immigrant supporters kept separate across a road by police, with officers forming a perimeter to keep the groups apart.<\/p>\n

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In Brisbane<\/a> police reported little trouble as a group of a few thousand flag-draped protesters played Redgum on the march between the Roma Street parklands and the city botanical gardens.<\/p>\n

Protesters at the Brisbane rally. Photograph: Jono Searle\/EPA<\/p>\n

They were confronted briefly at Roma Street by a group of a counter-protesters. One video shows Uncle Wayne Wharton, a Brisbane First Nations activist, telling protesters: \u201cYou invaded this country, you stole the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some protesters in both Brisbane and Adelaide were seen expressing solidarity with alleged Porepunkah police killer Dezi Freeman<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Brisbane a woman repeatedly yelled \u201cI stand with Dezi\u201d as police walked by. She was holding a sign that said \u201cI identify as sovereign\u201d.<\/p>\n

A man holds a placard with an image of fugitive Dezi Freeman as anti-immigration protesters march in Adelaide on Sunday. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

In Adelaide a man held a placard with an image of the fugitive at the march from Rundle Park.<\/p>\n

It came after Freeman\u2019s wife, Amalia Freeman, released a statement on Sunday pleading with her husband to surrender<\/a> to police and expressing \u201cdeep sorrow\u201d over the fatal shooting of two officers on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the March for Australia rallies, federal opposition leader, Sussan Ley, released a video on social media<\/a> on Saturday evening saying: \u201cThere is no place for violence, racism or intimidation. Whether incited from afar or stirred up here, we cannot let hatred and fear tear at our social cohesion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The federal Labor minister Murray Watt denounced the march on Sunday morning, telling Sky News: \u201cWe absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally that\u2019s going on today; it\u2019s not about increasing social harmony.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t support rallies like this that are about spreading hate and that are about dividing our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, told the ABC\u2019s Insiders program on Sunday morning that he believed there would be people there \u201cof goodwill who want to change policies\u201d but warned them to be careful of the company they keep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen some of the material for that particular protest and I\u2019m really concerned about the anti-Indian sentiment that is being expressed and some of the antisemitic undertones of some of those protests,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u2013 additional reporting by Andrew Messenger, Ben Smee, Josh Butler and AAP<\/p>\n