Thousands Rally Against Immigration in Australia; Government Condemns Marches as Hate-Fueled

Thousands of Australians took to the streets nationwide on Sunday in rallies against immigration, sparking strong condemnation from the country’s center-left government, which described the demonstrations as hate-driven and linked to neo-Nazi groups.

According to the organizers’ website, “March for Australia” rallies were held in Sydney, other state capitals, and regional centers. The group’s website claimed that “mass migration has broken the bonds that once held our communities together,” while a post on X (formerly Twitter) stated the marches aimed to “do what mainstream politicians never dare: demand an end to mass immigration.”

The organizers also said they were concerned about culture, wages, traffic, housing, water supply, environmental degradation, infrastructure, hospitals, crime, and “community harm.”

Australia—where roughly one in two people is either born overseas or has a parent born abroad—has seen a rise in far-right extremism in recent years, including neo-Nazi rallies.

Murray Watt, a senior minister in the Labor government, condemned the protests when asked about the Sydney rally on Sky News. “We strongly condemn today’s March for Australia rally. Its purpose is not to promote social harmony,” he said. “We do not support rallies designed to spread hate and divide our communities.” Watt added that the demonstrations were “organized and promoted” by neo-Nazi groups.

The organizers of March for Australia did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the neo-Nazi claims.

The rallies come less than a year after Australia introduced laws banning Nazi salutes and symbols tied to terrorist groups, following a surge in antisemitic incidents after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Counter-Protests Express ‘Hate and Outrage’

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that between 5,000 and 8,000 people—many draped in national flags—attended the Sydney rally, held near the city’s marathon event, which drew 35,000 runners and concluded at the Opera House.

Nearby, a counter-rally was organized by the Refugee Action Coalition. “Our event reflects the depth of hate and outrage toward the far-right agenda of March for Australia,” a coalition spokesperson said, adding that hundreds joined their protest.

Police said hundreds of officers were deployed in Sydney, and the event ended “without any major incidents.”

ABC aerial footage showed a large March for Australia rally in central Melbourne, where riot police reportedly used pepper spray against demonstrators. Victoria Police did not confirm the use of pepper spray but said it would release further details later in the day.

In Queensland, Bob Katter, leader of a small populist party, attended a rally in Townsville, a party spokesperson confirmed. The appearance came just days after Katter threatened a journalist for mentioning his Lebanese heritage during a press conference about his participation in the rallies. The Courier-Mail reported he was “surrounded by hundreds of supporters” at the event.

In Sydney, March for Australia participant Glenn Allchin told Reuters he wanted to see immigration “slowed down.”

“It’s about our country going beyond its limits and our government bringing in more and more people,” Allchin said. “Our kids are struggling to buy homes, in hospitals we’re waiting seven hours, our roads are overcrowded—there just aren’t enough.”