Fears of violent scenes at rallies across Australian capital cities on Saturday failed to materialise as just a fraction of those predicted to attend protests and counter-protests showed up.
Police in Victoria had been preparing for potential violence, fearing a repeat of the scenes in Melbourne in August, when violent brawls broke out between anti-immigration protesters and anti-fascism groups.
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On Saturday, police mostly succeeded in keeping opposing groups separate, intervening several times and deploying pepper spray.
Officers deployed in Melbourne had been granted extra powers to search people for weapons and to direct people to remove face coverings.
A counter-protester is pepper sprayed by police in Melbourne. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
About 2,500 people from multiple groups turned up to the rally. Victoria police said a 29-year-old man was arrested for criminal damage after an alleged graffiti incident, while another was interviewed about graffiti and released pending summons.
The groups “dissipated peacefully at the conclusion of the protests”, police said.
Police also intervened when a protester attempted to enter Camp Sovereignty, which had been stormed after the 31 August rally.
People react after an attempt to enter Camp Sovereignty during the National Day of Action rally in Melbourne. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP
Some of the national rallies were staged under the Australia Unites banner, made up of several splinter groups united under the cause of opposing “government corruption”. Speakers at the rally in Melbourne and Sydney were mostly concerned with Covid-era complaints, and with the shooting of Charlie Kirk in the US.
Many of the groups listed as march organisers under the Australia Unites banner promote anti-vaccine messages. Some groups advocate against trans rights, with one that calls for “an immediate cease to radical gender theory … being taught in the school system”.
Indigenous and Palestinian activist groups held counter-protests – a National Day of Action against racism and fascism – in many of the same cities, which they said was in response to neo-Nazis allegedly raiding Camp Sovereignty.
“This attack was not just on a camp – it was an attack on Aboriginal sovereignty, on the fight for justice, and on every community that stands against racism and fascism in this country,” said the organisers.
Protesters gather during the National Day of Action rally in Melbourne. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP
Mary-Joan Liddicoat and Michael Simms, two of the organisers of the Australia Unites rally, had said they expected between 5,000 and 20,000 people to attend in Sydney and that the route had been coordinated by police so as not to cross paths with the Indigenous march.
Liddicoat and Simms said they had also spoken with organisers of the Sydney Indigenous march to make clear their peaceful intentions.
Early estimates from NSW police – which had deployed hundreds of police across the city – put the number of attenders at the Australia Unites march at fewer than 3,000.
There were “no significant incidents”, NSW police said. A 50-year-old man was arrested for breach of the peace, a drone operator was issued a warning for flying in a restricted area, and two people were treated by paramedics, but there were no reports of serious injuries.
Queensland police said about 1,500 people turned up to a rally in Brisbane but about half left before the march, while about 200 people went to an anti-racism rally. There were no arrests or significant issues.
About 700 attended two separate protests in Perth, and there were no incidents reported.
SA police said they were “pleased with the behaviour of the estimated 3,000 attenders at today’s protest activity in the Adelaide CBD”, with no arrests or major disruption.
ACT police said there “was no activity of any significance” they had to attend to
The ABC reported 200-300 people protested in Darwin and about 200 in Canberra, while about 300 people turned up to a First Nations sovereignty event in Hobart.
