Authorities said most events remained under control and peaceful despite occasional flare-ups with counter-demonstrators, reports the BBC.
In Sydney, broadcaster ABC estimated around 8,000 people attended. Police said hundreds of officers were on duty but reported “no significant incidents.” Adelaide saw the largest turnout, with police estimating 15,000 combined participants at a rally and counter-protest, describing the crowds as “generally well-behaved.”
Melbourne witnessed confrontations when participants from the anti-immigration march crossed paths with a separate pro-Palestine rally. Among those addressing the crowd was Thomas Sewell, a figure associated with extremist groups, who spoke from the steps of Parliament House.
Several opposition politicians appeared at rallies, including One Nation senator Pauline Hanson and independent federal MP Bob Katter.
Demonstrators carried placards highlighting issues tied to housing, wages, infrastructure, and community identity. One attendee was seen holding a sign supporting Dezi Freeman, a man accused of killing two police officers earlier in the week, prompting a large-scale manhunt.
The March for Australia website said the rallies were motivated by concerns that “mass migration has torn at the bonds that held our communities together,” while also citing pressures on housing, traffic, hospitals, and environmental resources.
Government officials condemned the demonstrations. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said, “There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion. We stand with modern Australia against these rallies – nothing could be less Australian.”
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly also denounced the marches, stating: “We stand with all Australians, no matter where they were born, against those who seek to divide us and who seek to intimidate migrant communities. We will not be intimidated. This brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism has no place in modern Australia.”
