Police, including public order response teams and mounted officers, swiftly formed lines to try to keep the opposing groups apart as they taunted each other, at times from a distance of only metres.
Even so, a large number of people were involved in skirmishes and dozens were subdued by capsicum spray. One woman, wearing the anti-immigration rally’s uniform of an Australian flag draped over her shoulders, was attacked by protesters from the other camp on Swanston Street.
Meanwhile, the March for Australia group targeted several people of colour throughout the rally despite repeated declarations from some who said “we’re not racist”. An Asian man was heckled by the NSN contingent before police pulled him away; another man was called “rag-head” and beaten after he yelled “Nazi scum” at the NSN protesters.
A tense scene from the anti-immigration rally.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Far-right commentator Avi Yemini, who is Jewish and pro-Israeli, was attacked by neo-Nazis as he tried to join the March for Australia.
Outside State Parliament, one man boomed at officers: “We’re going to take a stand, and we’re going to do it f—ing now … We’re not f—ing racist.” He then joined in as the crowd turned on a person of colour, booing him and screaming, “F— off, get out of here”.
Melbourne’s March for Australia was one of a number organised around the country. In Adelaide, someone held up a sign depicting alleged Porepunkah shooter Dezi Freeman. The sign was emblazoned with the words “free man”.
Freeman is the subject of a massive manhunt in Victoria’s High Country after allegedly killing Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart last Tuesday.
National Socialist Network and other anti-immigration protesters confront a line of riot police on St Kilda Road.Credit: Michael Bachelard
Anti-immigration protesters in Brisbane’s Roma Street parklands were met by counter-protesters holding Palestinian and pro-transgender flags.
And in Sydney, a large crowd of anti-immigration demonstrators estimated by police at 15,000 chanted “Send them back”. Members of a neo-Nazi organisation associated with the NSN also handed out flyers, made a speech to the crowd and led chants of “Heil Australia”.
Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines labelled the anti-immigration protesters attending Sunday’s rally as “unhinged grubs”.
“We know what they’re there for: to promote hate in the community, to blame people for their gripes and their complaints and their whinges,” he said.
A clash with a counter-protester outside Flinders Street Station.Credit: Christopher Hopkins
“They can march up and down all they like, their views are of no consequence to this government.”
NSN leader Tom Sewell said in a speech that the disparate groups that made up the anti-immigration march should unify because they were all united in their opposition to mass migration. He was met with loud and enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
After acknowledging his own group was controversial, he told the crowd it was the NSN that had defended the “Aussie flag” against “the Palestinians and the communists”.
“We are here today to set aside our minute differences on historical events or versions of ideology. We are here as Australians, proud and true and thoroughbred.”
Police confronted by protesters outside Parliament House.Credit: Cassandra Morgan
The National Socialist Network has become more overt and militant on Melbourne’s streets in recent years, co-ordinating various stunts in an effort to get media attention, attract recruits and appear threatening to the public. The group is known to leverage political issues to recruit and try to normalise its presence.
Also speaking at the rally were Hugo Lennon, the organiser of the anti-immigation protest, and Harrison McLean, a leading “Melbourne freedom rally” organiser, who became well-known for his role in the anti-lockdown protests during COVID-19.
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When an Indigenous man briefly spoke on the microphone at the parliament building, saying “Always was, Always will be Aboriginal land,” he was pushed violently offstage by the neo-Nazis.
A speaker countered saying, “We [white people] built Australia”.
Speakers foreshadowed that they would organise another, even larger, rally for Australia Day.
Age photographer Luis Enrique Ascui was covering the anti-immigration protest when one demonstrator launched at him, hitting his camera.
Opinion among anti-immigration protesters was split on the presence of neo-Nazis. One woman told this masthead they would be “fine if they gave up all that Australia for the white-man stuff”.
Another marcher, who wanted to be known only as Jim, said the rally had nothing to do with Dezi Freeman, saying “every country has its nutcases”.
“This is wholly and solely about immigration.”
As for the neo-Nazis, Jim said they were paid agitators and “this is not what this movement is about”.
One pro-Palestinian demonstrator set fire to the Australian flag, fielding offers of hand sanitiser and a bollard pole to aid its ignition. The counter-protesters levelled their anger at police, questioning why they were “defending Nazis”. “Get those animals off those horses,” they screamed at officers on horseback. “Cops and the Klan go hand in hand.”
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In a later incident, a Palestinian flag was burned by anti-immigration protesters after a small group of young men managed to infiltrate the counter-rally and take the flag. One of the men waved it in celebration after breaking through police to rejoin the March for Australia. He held the flag victoriously in the air while it burned.
With Ashleigh McMillan, Roy Ward, Daniella Miletic
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