Australia's anti-immigration group targets Indian migrants: What happened

Thousands marched in Australian cities under the 'March for Australia' banner; officials condemned the rallies as racist and neo-Nazi driven

Police in Melbourne deployed pepper spray and fired baton rounds after violent confrontations broke out between anti-immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators on Sunday, Australian media reported.

 

The unrest unfolded as thousands joined rallies under the banner ‘March for Australia’ in cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide, demanding an end to what organisers called “mass immigration”. Authorities condemned the protests as “racist”, with Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly stating they were “organised by Nazis”.

 

The protests were coordinated through a right-wing group’s website and social media.

 

Anti-migrant protest flyer targets Indians

Flyers distributed by organisers directly targeted Indian migration, claiming: “More Indians in five years than Greeks and Italians in 100”. The group behind the rallies argued that migration had “torn at the bonds that held communities together”.

 

 

According to a report by News On Air, Indian community leaders in Australia have urged migrants to remain indoors following violent anti-immigration rallies. Australian authorities reportedly deployed significant police resources amid fears for the safety of the country’s large Indian diaspora, which has grown rapidly in recent years.

 

As of June 2023, Australia was home to 845,800 Indian-born residents, according to official statistics. This figure has more than doubled in a decade, up from 378,480 in 2013, making Indians the second-largest migrant group after Britons. They now account for 10.3 per cent of the overseas-born population and 3.2 per cent of the total population.

 

Melbourne street violence

According to SBS News, around 5,000 demonstrators, many draped in the national flag, and counter-protesters gathered in Melbourne, where violence flared multiple times. The riot squad intervened, using pepper spray and baton rounds to separate the groups. Police confirmed at least six arrests on charges including assault.

 

Similar rallies were reported in Sydney, which saw between 5,000 and 8,000 people attend, and in other cities.

 

Australian govt condemns rally

Government ministers condemned the rallies. “We absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally,” Environment Minister Murray Watt told Sky News. “It is about spreading hate and dividing our community, and was organised and promoted by neo-Nazi groups.”

 

Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly echoed this, saying, “Multiculturalism is an integral and valued part of our national identity. This brand of far-right activism, grounded in racism and ethnocentrism, has no place in modern Australia.”

 

Counter-protests organised in Australia

Counter-protests, led by groups including the Refugee Action Coalition, highlighted Australia’s immigrant roots, stating, “Outside of indigenous people, almost everyone here comes from migrant backgrounds.” Organisers said their event showed “…the depth of disgust and anger about the far-right agenda of March for Australia”, Al Jazeera reported.

 

New laws against extremist symbols

The unrest comes against the backdrop of new legislation introduced earlier this year that bans Nazi salutes and the display or sale of extremist symbols. These measures followed a surge in anti-Semitic incidents in Australia since the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2023.