Racism and extremism at anti-immigration rallies across Australia have been condemned after a score of arrests following violent clashes.
Tens of thousands of nationalists, dozens of dogs and at least one horse draped in Australian flags and paraphernalia participated in March For Australia rallies on Sunday in major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.
Speakers and attendees were at pains to state they were not against immigrants but wanted less migration.
However, rhetoric crossed into racism and xenophobia and became conspiratorial for some, with one speaker in Sydney spouting a theory about “a clear global agenda to shame, beat down and replace people with Anglo-Celtic and European heritage”.
Prominent neo-Nazis also gave speeches in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Australian Council of Social Services condemned hatred, fascism and violence and said it stood with all affected communities.
CEO Cassandra Goldie said the rallies should not provide people a platform “to divide communities or spread misinformation about migration and its impacts”.
“Australia’s diversity is a great strength, not a threat,” she said.
NSW Police estimated some 15,000 people attended the Sydney rally.
They said there were no significant incidents or injuries after hundreds of officers were deployed around the city to cover multiple events, including a marathon.
Officers removed one woman for allegedly breaching the peace in Sydney’s Hyde Park.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Scott Tanner said he was happy with the crowd’s behaviour, with everyone following instructions.
It was a different story in Melbourne, where violence erupted between competing rallies.
Officers were forced to use pepper spray to break up clashes between anti-immigration marchers and anti-fascist and pro-Palestine protesters.
Victoria Police said six people were arrested and face charges of assaulting police, behaving in a riotous manner, attempted robbery, assault and resisting police.
Two officers were injured after being struck by bottles thrown at them.
Victoria Police estimated the crowd size to be 5000.
In Brisbane, one man was arrested and charged with assaulting police while another man was detained for breaching the peace.
Queensland Police said about 6000 protesters attended the Brisbane rally.
Far right firebrand Pauline Hanson spoke to hundreds at a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra, calling for reduced migration and more Australian pride.
The One Nation leader’s speech then pivoted into a soliloquy that denied climate change and decried Indigenous Welcome to Country ceremonies and a “woke agenda” being forced on children in schools.
More than 100 Canberrans took aim at fascism and racism, chanting “f**k off Nazis, f**k off”, “go home white trash” and “immigrants are welcome here” as people congregated at Commonwealth Park before marching to Parliament House.
Cabinet minister Murray Watt, who condemned the protests, said “the fact that this is being organised and promoted by neo-Nazi groups tells us everything we need to know about the level of hatred and division that these kind of rallies are about”.
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