Thousands join anti-immigration rallies across Australia

Thousands of Australians participated in Australia rallies on August 31, protesting against immigration in Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities. Organisers cited concerns over culture, housing, traffic, wages, environmental destruction, hospitals, and crime.

The centre-left Labor government condemned the rallies, saying they aimed to spread hate and divide communities, and claimed they were linked to neo-Nazi groups, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"We absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally… It is not about increasing social harmony," said senior minister Murray Watt.

Police deployed hundreds of officers across Sydney, reporting no significant incidents, while in Melbourne, riot officers reportedly used pepper spray on demonstrators. Counter-protests by the Refugee Action Coalition drew hundreds, expressing anger at the far-right agenda.

Rally participants called for a slowdown in immigration, citing pressure on housing, hospitals, and infrastructure. Attendance estimates in Sydney ranged from 5,000 to 8,000, many draped in Australian flags.

The rallies come amid a rise in right-wing extremism in Australia, where one in two residents is either born overseas or has a parent born overseas.

By Khagan Isayev