Neo-Nazi figure headlines anti-immigration rallies as clashes erupt; ACOSS, leaders condemn hate
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Anti-immigration “March for Australia” rallies drew thousands in cities nationwide on Sunday, prompting heavy police deployments, tense confrontations with counter-protesters and swift condemnation from community leaders and politicians who warned against extremism infiltrating the events.
In Melbourne, National Socialist Network figure Thomas Sewell addressed supporters on the Parliament House steps as police on horseback moved to separate hostile groups on Bourke Street, where a glass bottle was thrown and rival crowds surged against barriers. Officers escorted several people from the steps during speeches.
In Canberra, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson led a march across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to Parliament House lawns, where an estimated 1,000 people rallied before a smaller counter-protest gathered across the road. “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chants rang out alongside anti-government slogans; police reported no significant clashes.
In Perth, thousands marched toward the city center as counter-protesters chanted “Nazi scum off our streets.” One Nation state MP Rod Caddies told the crowd neo-Nazis were “not welcome” and urged supporters to behave. Estimates in Perth ranged from 4,000 to 5,000, though turnout figures remained unclear late Sunday.
Smaller rallies were recorded elsewhere, including Echuca, where about 400 people gathered, and Albany, which drew roughly a dozen people split between supporters and opponents. Launceston saw only a handful of attendees.
Leaders denounce hate; ACOSS urges unity
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) condemned racism and intimidation linked to the rallies. “Acts of racism, hate and discrimination are abhorrent and have no place in our society,” ACOSS chief executive Dr. Cassandra Goldie said in a statement. “Australia’s diversity is a great strength, not a threat.” Goldie urged political leaders to “condemn hate without equivocation” and said the priority was the safety and wellbeing of people who felt targeted. (Goldie is ACOSS’s CEO.)
Federal ministers said extremist elements were seeking to “spread hate,” while Coalition frontbenchers warned attendees to “be careful of the company you keep,” citing racist and anti-Semitic material linked to organizers. “There are people there of goodwill… but be careful of the company you keep,” Liberal frontbencher Julian Leeser said. Labor ministers Murray Watt, Amanda Rishworth and Matt Keogh echoed concerns about neo-Nazi involvement.
Independent Senator Fatima Payman called for calm, appealing directly to English-born migrants — Australia’s largest overseas-born cohort — not to be intimidated. “Don’t let the anti-immigration rallies scare you,” Payman said, adding that immigrants “play an enormous part in our national economic wellbeing, and our cultural richness.” She acknowledged the right to peaceful protest but urged communities not to react to provocation.
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Police separate opposing groups as tensions flare
Mounted police were deployed in Melbourne to split anti-immigration marchers from pro-Palestinian and antifascist counter-demonstrators near Parliament. Officers intervened after a bottle shattered close to the counter-protest, with significant numbers of police and crowd-control measures visible in the CBD.
In Hobart, police formed a line between rival demonstrations on Salamanca and Parliament lawns as opposing chants escalated. In Sydney, police prepared for large crowds with hundreds of officers rostered across multiple demonstrations — including counter-rallies — as thousands moved through the CBD.
Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines labeled hate-preachers at the rallies “absolute grubs,” calling for respect toward officers after a separate week of grief within the force. “Their views are of no consequence to the government,” Carbines said.
Extremist presence fuels backlash
Sewell’s appearance in Melbourne — following his earlier court matters tied to alleged white supremacist activity — underscored concerns that far-right groups were driving Sunday’s events. Organizers in several cities sought to distance themselves from neo-Nazis even as some attendees waved Eureka flags and chanted nationalist slogans.
Anti-racist demonstrators responded with signs and chants denouncing white supremacy. In Sydney, counter-protesters marched with placards reading “Migrants are welcome here”; in Perth, they shouted down marchers from a separate park under a dense police cordon.
Why it matters
Immigration has become a flashpoint as cost-of-living pressures, housing shortages and culture-war politics collide. Sunday’s rallies — promoted online under the “March for Australia” banner — drew backing from far-right networks and attention from mainstream figures, sharpening fears among civil-society groups that extremist actors are using broader frustrations to recruit and radicalize.
Voices from the crowds
Some demonstrators said the march was about “supporting Aussies” and reducing “mass immigration,” not rejecting multiculturalism. Others carried signs seeking to “stop spending” and “start mending.” In Perth, a migrant from India told the ABC he was “opposing mass immigration” while praising the opportunities he had found in Australia, reflecting a complex mix of economic and cultural grievances among attendees.
Counter-protesters emphasized social cohesion and safety for minority communities. In Hobart, they chanted “Migrants are welcome here,” with one group breaking into the Neighbours theme as police separated the lines.
Organizers and political reactions
Hanson’s presence in Canberra gave the protests a national spotlight. In Perth, One Nation’s Rod Caddies told the crowd flag-waving and national pride were central to the event and warned against disruptive behavior. Elsewhere, independent MP Bob Katter addressed marchers in Townsville, invoking a Eureka flag and calling the crowd to “resistance” in a brief speech that drew cheers from locals.
Government ministers framed the day as a test of social cohesion. “It is not about increasing social harmony,” said Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, who tied the rallies to extremist promotion. Opposition figures repeated warnings about extremist infiltration while defending the general right to protest. “Australians have a right to protest but cannot let hatred and fear tear at our social cohesion,” Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said Saturday.
Adelaide rally halted after altercation
In Adelaide, organizers abruptly ended the event after a scuffle broke out when members of the National Socialist Network attempted to speak. Police stepped in to break up the confrontation as sections of the crowd chanted for the speaker to continue. The rally did not resume.
Sydney sees heavy policing amid multiple rallies
In Sydney, several demonstrations converged, forcing traffic diversions and drawing a large police footprint. Local media reported more than 800 officers deployed across the CBD as authorities worked to prevent clashes between anti-immigration marchers and counter-protests organized by refugee and pro-Palestinian groups.
Community groups call for de-escalation
ACOSS urged protest organizers to reject extremist symbols and rhetoric, saying rallies must not be used to “divide communities or spread misinformation about migration and its impacts.” Goldie said the organization “stands in solidarity with all communities affected” by intimidation or violence.
Payman, who in recent weeks told a Victorian court she felt “deeply unsettled” by threats she received via email, said she was “undaunted and unafraid.” She encouraged English-born Australians to “adopt the same approach” and not be baited into confrontation. (Context on the threats case.)
Organizing networks and online promotion
Websites and social channels linked to “March for Australia” promoted the rallies as a pushback against “endless migration” and “weak leadership,” framing the events as peaceful demonstrations for “ordinary Australians” concerned about housing, infrastructure and identity. Anti-extremism researchers and media reports have documented how far-right groups tried to capitalize on that broad message.
What’s next
Police in several cities said they would review incidents captured on video and determine whether further arrests were warranted. State and federal leaders are expected to face continued pressure to address housing and migration settings while drawing clear lines against extremist influence.
ACOSS called for “unequivocal” political leadership. “There is no place in Australia for ideology that targets people because of who they are, where they come from or what they believe,” Goldie said.
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