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Crowds of pro-migration protesters have arrived in Melbourne’s CBD for a counter-rally in Melbourne’s CBD against anti-immigration demonstrations.
Late on Sunday morning, police were making their way through a small crowd of pro-migration protesters in the city centre.
Protesters at Sunday’s March for Australia rally in Melbourne’s CBD.Credit: Paul Jeffers
The counter-protest was led by a procession of First Nations people who marched from Camp Sovereignty on Sunday morning.
Hundreds of people chanted, “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here” and “Nazi scum off our streets” as they walked along Swanston Street.
Police spoke to people wearing masks about the designated area rules and used metal detectors to check bags as people headed towards the steps of the State Library.
Palestinian man Basil told the crowd at the State Library that the nationalistic talking points touted by those protesting against immigration were created to divide people, but the counter-protest movement needed to stick together.
“Those sick ideologies that see another human as less equal and with less rights simply because of their colour, their ethnicity – that ideology is the most destructive that you can face,” he said.
“They want to start nationalism so that they separate us into little groups in what they call a divide and conquer. And, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
“We need to have that firm principle that if a human right is lost for any group of people, we have to stand up and fight.”
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Rallies under the banner of “Unite Against Racism: Migrants and Refugees Are Welcome” are to be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide on Sunday.
In August, Melbourne’s CBD roiled with protests as anti-immigration and counter-demonstrators clashed repeatedly and a large number of police were stretched to cope with a shifting struggle that raged through the city’s streets for more than four hours.
The anti-immigration rally skewed older, male and white people, and comprised a disparate collection of “sovereign citizens”, mainstream right anti-immigration protesters, and anti-government agitators and neo-Nazis.
About 150 far-right National Socialist Network members led the August 31 March for Australia rally.
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Organisers of Sunday’s pro-migration rallies say the March for Australia protests, which are also being held in most capital cities, are racist and some events have neo-Nazis involved.
Before Sunday’s rally, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said: “The far right is organised, violent and on the march.”
“Yet political leaders refuse to grapple with the reality of white supremacy and racism that is threatening and harming First Nations people and people of colour every day,” she said.
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