Anti-racists counter protest far-right ‘Australia Marches’ rally

About 300 people joined the “No to Racism: Migrants and Refugees Are Welcome” rally at Sydney Town Hall on November 8. It was organised by the Refugee Action Collective Sydney (RAC) to counter the far-right Australian Marches rally against migration. 

The far-right rally, which featured speakers from One Nation, Libertarian MP John Ruddick and other right-wing influencers, rallied at the Royal Botanic Garden and drew about 500 people. 

Speakers at the counter-protest included Lynda-June Coe, Wiradjuri and Badu Island woman and NSW Greens upper house candidate; Nour Salman from Australia Palestine Advocacy Network; Ishita Chakrabarty from Hindus for Human Rights; Bidjigal/Gweagal activist Jordan Ryan-Hennessy; Ann El Khoury, from University of Sydney Staff for Palestine; Beau Lyon from Action for Public Housing’ and Anisa, a Somali refugee who was held in the Naoero detention centre.

Chakrabarty spoke about the racism faced by Indian migrants and linked One Nation and the Australia Marches rally to the far-right Narendra Modi government in India. 

Ian Rintoul from RAC, who chaired the rally, said the United States midterm elections were a huge blow to the racist politics of US President Donald Trump, but said anti-racist campaigners still need to get organised. 

“The tragedy is that the racist policies of Australia Marches and One Nation are being fueled by anti-migration and anti-refugee policies of the Labor government,” Rintoul said. 

“Labor is linking migration with the housing crisis; cutting the numbers of international students; has introduced fees that will make it harder for refugees to seek asylum in Australia and is implementing an ICE-like compliance force to round up people on temporary visas.”

Lyon said those in power are pushing racism to distract from the real cause of the housing crisis, the for-profit housing system. 

“Migrants are not responsible for the housing or cost of living crisis,” Rintoul said.