Outside the Victorian Parliament, there have been violent conflicts between Nazi saluting anti-immigration protestors and counterprotesters.
Police shouted at opposing demonstrators to “get back” as they used pepper spray to break up the fighting.
Anti-fascists responded to the black-clad protesters who had assembled on the steps of the state legislature on Saturday to voice their opposition to the new immigration restrictions.
The scheduled protest in Melbourne’s CBD, according to Victoria Police, had a very noticeable police presence.
The statement read, “Officers are equipped and well prepared to deploy resources to ensure the community’s safety and to maintain peace.”
The revelation that Australia’s immigrant population is anticipated to increase by more than 700,000 over the following couple of years prompted the organization of the anti-immigration march.
International students and travelers on work visas make up the majority of the growing migration, which is partly attributable to the reopening of international borders after pandemic lockdowns.
Changes to the skilled immigration program, student visas, and employer-sponsored visas have been suggested following a federal government review completed last year.
The rally’s organizers stated in their promotional materials that they would oppose new immigrants because they would “further exacerbate the housing crisis and ethnically replace white Australians in their own suburbs and towns.”
Chris Bowen, a federal government minister, described the event as “unspeakably un-Australian” and claimed the neo-Nazis who attended were part of a “fringe of political lunatics who have no place in modern Australia” on Saturday.
“That’s not acceptable. Nothing is on. This is blatant racism, and neo-Nazism is blatantly evil.
Anti-fascists “tried to get at the Nazis,” counter-protester Nick told the ABC, sparking clashes outside parliament.
Then, he continued, “they started throwing bottles at the Nazis, and it got worse.”
“The officers took their pepper spray out. A few people were arrested, and there was a lot of shoving.
Federal efforts to outlaw Nazi symbols
Because extremist groups adapt quickly, the Australian Federal Police cautions against trying to regulate the use of Nazi insignia online.
In March, Premier Daniel Andrews signaled that his administration would propose legislation outlawing the Nazi salute in Victoria.
On March 20, he tweeted, “Nazis and their ugly ideas aren’t welcome here.
His remark came after neo-Nazis used the salute to gatecrash an anti-trans rights event in March, which caused indignation among many people.
In Victoria, the Nazi swastika was declared illegal in 2022.
Victoria Police are currently conducting an investigation after discovering Nazi swastika graffiti in Melbourne’s west suburb of Altona.
