Australian Government Condemns ‘Anti Immigration Protests as “Un-Australian”

...Amid Fears for Migrant Communities

By Harry Taruva in Sydney Australia and Delicious Mathuthu

Canberra, Australia - The Albanese Government has issued a forceful rebuke of the anti-immigration rallies planned for Sunday, denouncing the so-called ‘March for Australia’ events as fundamentally “un-Australian” and warning against any attempts to undermine the nation’s longstanding multicultural values.

In a joint statement released Thursday, Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke and Multicultural Affairs Minister Dr Anne Aly clearly stated the government’s position.

“All Australians, no matter their heritage, have the right to feel safe and welcome in our community. There is no place for any type of hate in Australia," the two said in a joint statement.

The ministers’ comments come as concern mounts among immigrant communities, with some leaders urging members to remain indoors for their safety during the protests.

Minister Burke, in remarks to SBS News, said there is no place for division in the country.

“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."

Echoing this sentiment, Dr Aly, herself an immigrant from Egypt, stressed the foundational role of multiculturalism in Australia’s identity.

“Multiculturalism is an integral and valued part of our national identity. 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.” She said.

“This brand of far-right activism grounded in racism and ethnocentrism has no place in modern Australia," Dr. Aly added

The ‘March for Australia’ protests, promoted on social media and via flyers in nine major cities, with no clearly identified grouping, call for a halt to what organisers term “mass immigration” and demand a return to an “Australian identity.”

The planned protest rules urge attendees to bring only Australian and Eureka flags, explicitly forbidding foreign flags in what organisers describe as a “sea of red and blue.”

Rhetoric from the group accuses “big business” and institutions of supporting “endless migration” for profit, framing migration as detrimental to “culture, wages, traffic, housing supply… and loss of community.”

The protests have caused alarm among migrant communities, with nine sites identified so far for picketing.

Amar Singh, founder of Turbans 4 Australia and 2023 Australian Local Hero, described the rallies as an attack on Australian multicultural society, urging organisers to reconsider and warning others to avoid potential danger.

“This sort of hate does not discriminate,” Singh told SBS Punjabi, noting that immigrants near protest sites could become “targets.”

On social media, Indian Australian influencers with large followings have advised their communities to “stay inside” this weekend.

One Uber driver, interviewed by SBS News, said he feared for his safety working on Sunday.

“I work more on weekends, so I don’t know what’s going to happen. But it’s scary," he said

Community leaders and organisations have also voiced concern.

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) released a statement cautioning against divisionist acts.

“Singling out new arrivals or culturally diverse communities ignores our shared history. We can hold different views on policy, but we must never allow those debates to turn into attacks on people’s identity or heritage.”

Peter Doukas OAM, FECCA chair added that Australia's diversity is a strength and it must be protected.

"We urge leaders and communities to reject any messages that promote racism or exclusion,” he said.

Since the 1945 post-war migration program, more than seven million people have settled in Australia, with nearly one-third of the current population born overseas, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023, reports.

Australia’s story as a nation of migrants is well documented. The country’s multicultural model has often been cited internationally as a success, contributing to economic growth, social cohesion, and cultural richness.

Debates over immigration levels and integration, however, periodically resurface.

The current protests echo similar anti-immigration rallies in the past, such as the Cronulla riots of 2005 and sporadic far-right gatherings.

Each time, governments have responded by reaffirming the nation’s commitment to multiculturalism and condemning racism.

Minister Burke summed up the government’s message saying, “We stand with modern Australia against these rallies nothing could be less Australian.”