Anti-immigration and counter anti-racism rallies underway nationwide

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A second round of anti-immigration rallies is kicking off in Australian cities today. The so-called 'March for Australia' is demanding the government end what it calls mass-immigration. At the same time, counter protests are also taking place in some cities

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00:00Thousands of protesters have just made their way through Sydney CBD and they're now filing

00:07back into Hyde Park. They've been calling for an end to mass immigration. It's been

00:12a peaceful protest. Before they set off, one of the organisers urged the crowd if they

00:17happened to come across the anti-racism rally in the area at the same time, not to cause

00:22any trouble. They said, be loud but not violent. Now there are different reasons people have

00:28for being here today. We spoke with some a little earlier.

00:31The roads are so congested. The trains and public transport are so congested. We are not made

00:36to have 8 million people in such a small area.

00:40There's no racism at all. We're accepting of everyone. I've got friends, Sri Lankan, Muslim

00:49friends. They want to behave themselves and integrate and be part of the Australian community.

00:55Everyone's welcome. But they need to be bringing skills to better the country.

00:59It has been a peaceful march. We did see one woman dragged away by police officers as she

01:05appeared to be holding up the rally. But other than that, there hasn't been any sign of trouble.

01:09At the march in August, around 15,000 people attended and at the very front was a small group

01:15of neo-Nazis, including one who got up on stage and gave a speech. I should note, he was booed

01:20by many members of the crowd when he did so. People have said that that group wouldn't be welcome

01:25here again today and there's certainly been no sign of them so far. They did indicate they

01:29weren't planning to show up today. Instead, they were planning to march again on Australia Day.

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