Sun Aug 31 16:20:00 UTC 2025: **Headline: Anti-Immigration Rallies Draw Thousands in Australia, Sparking Clashes and Government Condemnation**
**Sydney, Australia -** Thousands of Australians participated in “March for Australia” rallies across major cities on Saturday, protesting immigration policies and what organizers termed a decline in national unity. The demonstrations, however, were met with strong condemnation from the government, who labeled them as having links to the far-right and promoting hate speech.
Rallies took place in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and other cities, with some turning volatile as counter-protesters confronted marchers. In Melbourne, clashes erupted between rally attendees and participants in a separate pro-Palestine demonstration. Notably, Thomas Sewell, identified as a neo-Nazi, addressed the crowd near Parliament House.
While police reported no major incidents in Sydney, where an estimated 8,000 people gathered, Adelaide saw an estimated 15,000 people at both the rally and a counter-demonstration. Concerns were raised in Adelaide after a demonstrator was spotted with a sign supporting Dezi Freeman, a conspiracy theorist and self-described sovereign citizen currently wanted in connection with the shooting deaths of two police officers.
Several opposition politicians, including One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson and federal MP Bob Katter, joined the marches, lending further attention to the events. The rallies were promoted online by opposition figures, neo-Nazi activists, and anti-lockdown campaigners.
The “March for Australia” website claims that mass migration has eroded Australia’s unity and shared values. Organizers cited concerns over culture, wages, traffic, housing, environmental issues, and community.
The government strongly denounced the rallies, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stating, “There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion.” Multicultural Affairs Minister Dr. Anne Aly added, “This brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism has no place in modern Australia.”
The rallies come amid a reported rise in right-wing extremism in Australia, which recently introduced mandatory prison sentences for those displaying Nazi symbols.
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