Anti-Islamist rally in Australia faces counter protest

An anti-Islamist rally held in Australia's capital city of Canberra on Saturday met with a counter protest which led to a stand-off in front of Parliament House.

The rally was organised by a group called Reclaim Australia. The Facebook page for the event claimed the rally was organised to "stop minorities changing our country", The Canberra Times reported.

The group is also holding 16 more rallies in capital cities, regional and rural centres, speaking out against sharia law, halal certification and Islamist extremism.

Canberra organiser of the Reclaim Australia event Daniel Evans said the people who gathered for the rally were not racist.

"We're not a racist rally," Evans said.

"We're against what's going on in Australia with the laws that aren't protecting us. The message is to the government to start protecting Australia against extremists and extremist groups with the political ideology that comes hand in hand with Islam."

"We're not against Muslims," Evans added.

Opponents of the Reclaim Australia rally chanted "Muslims are welcome, racists are not" throughout their walk to Parliament House.

Refugee Action Committee member John Passant said he attended the counter rally to send a message that Muslims were welcome in Australia.

"I'm disappointed that people turn out under the banner of Reclaim Australia, which is basically a racist banner, to push Islamophobia," he said.