‘White Australians’ and neo-Nazis: Who’s behind anti-immigration rally

The organiser of an anti-immigration rally in Sydney has been recorded coaching listeners to say the protest was fighting to protect “Australian heritage” rather than “white Australia” to avoid being labelled Nazis.

NSW Police approved a March for Australia protest in Haymarket on Sunday. Similar marches are planned in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

“Bec Freedom” is the online name of a woman who claims to have lodged the protest form with NSW Police, and who supports a far-right organisation “dedicated to the preservation of European culture”.

Who’s behind March for Australia?

Despite the rally’s growing social media exposure – close to 2000 people have said they were interested in the Sydney Facebook event for Sunday’s rally —there is no single person claiming to lead the organisation, whose aim is to stop “mass migration”.

As of Thursday afternoon, 660 people said they were attending the Sydney rally on Facebook.

The group popped up on Facebook on August 9. When this masthead asked who was behind it, an unnamed spokesperson said there was no “overall organiser” but “a number of people” providing logistical and social media support to state organisers.

“We hazard to name any single person as ‘the’ organiser, as we don’t want the politics of this march becoming tied up with any one person’s,” a spokesperson said in an email.

March for Australia also denied links to known neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell or far-right group National Socialist Network.

Who is Bec Freedom?

Self-described digital creator Bec Freedom has taken ownership of the Sydney protest and told 2GB last Thursday she does not use her real name to protect her identity.

She told the Herald in an emailed response she was a “freedom fighter”, “nationalist” and “patriot”.

Leaked audio taken from a live-stream on August 11 revealed Freedom instructing march promoters to use messaging about protecting Australian heritage, which she said means “white heritage”.

“There’s a lot of people trying to claim the rally as their own and turn it into a unity march,” Freedom said. “I understand why some people are saying it’s not about race. Though people like that … they’re scared.”

“But if we break it down, this is how I tried to explain it to somebody. I said, OK, so protect Australian heritage, culture, way of life. Next step, protect European culture, heritage, way of life. The next step is protect white heritage.

“It all means the same thing. It’s just different ways to put it, Australian heritage. By saying it that way, it is more appealing to the public. It’s going to deter them from saying, ‘Oh, it’s a Nazi rally’, blah, blah, blah. That’s all it means, Australian is white, it’s European, European white.”

Freedom told the Herald the audio misrepresented what she was attempting to convey.

Freedom also went on Ben Fordham’s 2GB last Thursday, when she was grilled about separate audio where she admitted to saying “we need violence … we’ve done peaceful” while referring to the Cronulla riots.

She claimed the video was taken out of context because she prefaced her comments by saying: “When I say it needs to happen again, I am not condoning the violence part of it”.

“No, I do not stand by that quote … Ben asked if I retract [my statement] and apologise, and I said yes, I do. I do not condone violence and will try my best to ensure there is none at any of the March For Australia events,” Freedom said.

Freedom’s links to far-right groups

Freedom has shared and commented on numerous posts by far-right group National Workers Alliance, which labels itself as “dedicated to the preservation of European culture”.

“Yes, I proudly support the National Workers Alliance as they are a passionate organisation that is standing strong about protecting Australia and our values,” Freedom said.

She has also reposted and commented on the now-suspended account of former far-right kingpin of Reclaim Australia and Great Aussie Patriot Shermon Burgess. Freedom says she does not hold the same beliefs as Burgess, who is best known for his anti-Islamic rhetoric.

In a Facebook video from New Year’s Eve last year, Freedom uploaded a video of a moving crowd in Melbourne CBD with the caption: “Who wants to play spot the Aussie, there isn’t many …”

She later uploaded another video, clearing up comments that accused her of being “racist” and a “bigot”, by noting she could’ve said something worse.

“It was kind of tongue-in-cheek. I actually thought that people would find it funny. Spot the Aussie has been something that people have said and done as a game for years now, absolute years … I didn’t think it was that bad. I could have written Indian invasion or Asian invasion, that would have sounded racist, right?”

Indian community targeted

The March for Australia leaflet contains an unsourced statistic about migration stating “more Indians in five years than Greeks and Italians in 100”.

President of United Indian Associations Satish Bhadranna said a meeting of groups representing more than 20,000 people had discussed the community’s response to the rally.

“Everyone was asking whether people should be staying home or should be afraid of not going out of the house or taking kids to the park, and we sent them a clear message: we shouldn’t be afraid of where we are coming from and why we are here because we are immigrants.”

NSW Police said they will have a high-visibility presence at the rally.

“Any unlawful or dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated. Police will not hesitate to take appropriate action against anyone whose actions risk the safety of others or commits a criminal offence,” police said in a statement.

Federal Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he stands with modern Australia against the rally, which he stated couldn’t “be less Australian”.

“There is no place in our country for people who seek to divide and undermine our social cohesion,” Burke said.

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