‘Send them back’: Thousands march at Sydney anti-immigration rally

Police estimate 15,000 people joined an anti-immigration march in Sydney on Sunday, where protesters chanted “send them back” and a neo-Nazi organisation handed out fliers and led chants of “heil Australia”.

The March for Australia protest march from Belmore Park near Central Station to Victoria Park in Camperdown, organised by a disparate collection of online groups, was one of several held across capital cities on Sunday.

It was one of three protests held in Sydney on Sunday, which, along with the Sydney Marathon, made for a taxing day for NSW Police. Acting assistant commissioner Scott Tanner said officers estimated about 15,000 people were at the anti-immigration rally, while between 2000 and 3000 people gathered at a pro-Palestine march.

A few hundred people also attended a rally supporting refugees.

There was only one arrest — a woman who allegedly shouted abuse at the pro-Palestine march in Hyde Park and was charged with breaching the peace. Tanner said police were happy with the behaviour of the crowds at the various rallies.

But despite organisers of the March for Australia rally claiming in the lead up that their protests were not linked to white-supremacist groups, members of a neo-Nazi group associated with the National Socialist Network were allowed to take the stage to address the several-thousand strong crowd in Victoria Park.

The men – who were part of a group of about 30 black-clad members of the neo-Nazi organisation which took part in the march – took to the stage during an “open mic” section of the protest.

They led a chant of “heil Australia” and “blood and honour”, to cheers from the crowd, while others in the park yelled “f***-off Nazis”.

As they left, some members of the crowd booed and shouted out “wankers” and “racist dogs” at the men.

Earlier in the day, the group handed out leaflets declaring “white Australia must organise” as an Australian flag beach ball was knocked around the crowd. As the crowd gathered and a sea of Australian flags took over the park, chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” and “Albo must go” could be heard.

Among the main organisers was a woman who uses the pseudonym Bec Freedom.

In a speech cut short because she said she was losing her voice, she told the crowd Australia was “going downhill quickly” and led one of several chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi.”

Freedom, who claimed there were “at least 15k” people in the crowd, is one of several organisers linked to white supremacy groups.

The NSW Libertarian MP, John Ruddick, was also among the speakers at the rally. He told the crowd he supported a “five-year pause” on immigration, but was repeatedly drowned out by cheers of “send them back”.

Hours after the protest, two men, aged 29 and 48, were arrested after a policeman was assaulted during a brawl at Bar Broadway in Chippendale.

NSW Police did not say whether those involved had been at the March for Australia event, but footage of the incident showed people with Australian flags within the group officers attempted to break up.

A male constable sustained minor injuries in trying to disperse the crowd, police said.

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