On August 31, multiple Australian cities, including Sydney and Melbourne, witnessed anti-immigration demonstrations under the banner of “The March For Australia.” Organizers claimed they were opposing “mass immigration,” arguing that newcomers were straining housing and economic resources. Around 1,000 people joined in Melbourne, while Sydney drew an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 participants. Protesters waved national flags and chanted “Australia,” with some shouting xenophobic slogans such as “Go back” and “Stop the invasion.”
Reports said members of neo-Nazi groups attended rallies in both Sydney and Melbourne, chanting “White Australia forever.” Federal ministers strongly condemned the events, with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek calling them “driven by neo-Nazi organizations” and aimed at “spreading hate and dividing communities.”
At the same time, large-scale counter-protests opposing hate also broke out in various cities. Demonstrators carried signs welcoming immigrants and confronted anti-immigration groups. In Melbourne, clashes erupted after far-right activists attacked the Indigenous-led peace camp Camp Sovereignty, leaving at least four people injured, drawing condemnation from the Victorian government.
Leaders of multicultural communities said the rallies had reopened old wounds from the “White Australia Policy,” leaving many new and established migrants feeling fearful and excluded. Experts warned that far-right groups are exploiting cost-of-living and housing crises, wrapping their messages in nationalist rhetoric to appeal to ordinary citizens — a trend that risks deepening social division.