Thousands of Australians have turned out for anti-immigration rallies across the nation that were condemned by the government as having far-right links and “spreading hate”.
March for Australia rallies took place in Sydney, Melbourne and other major cities – with several clashes taking place as marchers were met with counter-demonstrations.
A number of opposition politicians joined the marches, including One Nation senator Pauline Hanson and federal MP Bob Katter.
Australia has faced a recent rise in right-wing extremism and made the Nazi salute punishable by a mandatory prison term earlier this year.
Up to 8,000 people assembled for the Sydney rally, according to broadcaster ABC. Police said hundreds of officers were deployed across the city but saw “no significant incidents”.
In Melbourne, protesters clashed with attendees of a separate pro-Palestine rally. Among the speakers was Thomas Sewell, a known neo-Nazi who addressed crowds from the steps of Parliament House.
In Adelaide, police estimated that 15,000 people were present at both a rally and counter-demonstration, and said that crowds were “generally well-behaved”, according to local media.
One demonstrator was seen with a placard expressing support for Dezi Freeman, a conspiracy theorist and self-described “sovereign citizen” who is accused shooting dead two police officers on his property earlier this week. A large-scale manhunt for Freeman, 56, is now under way.
The marches were promoted by several opposition politicians, neo-Nazi figures, and some anti-lockdown campaigners who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic.
