Melbourne mayor Nick Reece has urged protesters to ‘stay home’ on Saturday as planned rallies under the Australia Unites banner kick off around Australia.
Organisers say the rallies will highlight Australians’ dissatisfaction over worsening cost-of-living pressures, declining health outcomes, rising violence, financial strain, and environmental policies that serve corporations.
Opposing groups led by Indigenous and Palestinian activists have planned a National Day of Action against racism and fascism in response to neo-Nazis allegedly raiding an Indigenous camp in Melbourne on August 31.
Victoria Police anticipate troublemakers in both far-left and far-right groups will use protests as an excuse to pick a fight and commuters have been told to expect extended delays in Melbourne’s CBD.
Melbourne Mayor Nick Reece said he was ‘fed up’ with the number of protests being held in his city and around Australia.
‘Whatever people think they are achieving through these protests, I can tell them it is being more than offset by the harm they are causing to the city and people of the city,’ he told Weekend Today on Saturday.
‘I think everyone respects the right of people to protest peacefully, but that’s not what we’re seeing anymore. We are seeing behaviour which is disruptive, extremely disruptive, and intimidating and I think people are fed up. I’m fed up.
‘We seem to be going to a new level where you’ve got four protests happening on a single day. It’s starting to look a little like the bar scene from Star Wars, but unfortunately it’s a very serious situation causing mass disruptions.’
Right-wing groups gather at Victorian State Parliament as Australian’s hold anti-fascism rallies
Melbourne Mayor Nick Reece (pictured centre) said he was ‘fed up’ by the number of protests being held in his city and around Australia ahead of more rallies on Saturday
Anti-immigration marches turned violent as they clashed with multiple counter protesters
There have been many protests around the country this year and are costing taxpayers millions
Rallies will occur in Sydney, Hobart, Canberra and Brisbane but their state police forces have not warned of similar clashes.
Officers deployed in Melbourne will have extra powers to search people for weapons and can direct people to remove face coverings.
The planned protests comes a fortnight after a group of men dressed in black clashed with people at Camp Sovereignty in King’s Domain on August 31, following the March for Australia rally in the city.
The camp is a burial site with the remains of Indigenous people from 38 clans. It was first created in 2006 and was re-established in 2024.
Ten men, some with links to neo-Nazi groups, have been arrested and charged in relation to the alleged assaults and affray.
Brawls also broke out between anti-immigration protesters and anti-fascist groups, which led to police deploying pepper spray to separate demonstrators.
Victoria Police said among the four groups set to turn out on Saturday, those with far-right and extreme ideologies, as well as far-left and opposing views, will seek conflict and confront each other.
They could not discount the chance neo-Nazis would again take to the streets while a leader in the group remains behind bars.
Brawls also broke out between anti-immigration protesters and anti-fascism groups, which led to police deploying pepper spray to separate demonstrators
The Mayor says the amount of protests going on around the country is getting out of control
An anti-fascism rally in Sydney on Saturday featured Indigenous and Palestinian activists
Victoria’s Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the government supported peaceful protest but rebuked any protesters who planned to engage in harm and violence.
‘Do not ever use the cloak of protest to go out there and cause crime,’ she said.
‘There is no place for protests that spread harm, that spread hate, that spread fear and violence, and there is certainly no place in Victoria for neo-Nazis.’
