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Key Points
- Politicians have condemned anti-immigration protesters.
- Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi labelled One Nation “merchants of hate”.
- She accused Labor and Liberal politicians of demonising pro-Palestine activists but ignoring Neo-Nazis.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has accused her parliamentary colleagues of not acting on far-right racism and encouraging hate, following Sunday’s anti-immigration marches that were attended by tens of thousands of people across the country.
Seeking to move a motion in the Senate condemning the “racist, white supremacist rallies”, Faruqi said “racism is the foundation of settler colonial states.”
“It is not new but it has been blatantly legitimised and normalised by the media and politicians who seek to fan the flames of hate and division and it is this that gives neo-Nazis succour and it is the reason that they are emboldened”.
Many who attended the rallies either flew or wore Australian flags, shouting anti-migration and nationalistic slogans such as “love it or leave it”.
Groups of neo-Nazis were at some of the rallies — including addressing crowds in Melbourne, leading a march in Sydney and handing out flyers in Adelaide.
Faruqi labelled the One Nation party “merchants of hate … who have nothing to offer but their racism and white supremacy, to just cause division and hate.’
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson sought to have the comment withdrawn, but the acting deputy leader of the Senate stated it was parliamentary.
Hanson spoke at the Canberra anti-immigration rally.
Faruqi said the Greens would support an amendment to the motion from Labor: “in the interests of making a statement about the marches”.
She said the “rampage on the weekend should be a wake-up call which you all in this chamber and the other one have either downplayed, or fuelled with your hate and racism.
“For the past two years, Labor and the Coalition have been smearing and vilifying pro-Palestine activists. They have been doing that while literal Nazis are marching on the streets of this country.
“I do hope that is a wake-up call for all of you to change course and do something on far-right extremism, which you have been ignoring.”
Fiery Senate debate
Faruqi said anti-immigrant marches do not happen in a vacuum and cause real harm.
Her speech followed Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly saying Sunday’s anti-immigration protests were “clearly racist” and infiltrated by neo-Nazis looking to “prey on some legitimate concerns”.
As the Senate debate started to get heated, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash accused the Greens of being solely focused on neo-Nazis, and separately sought to move a motion that free speech must be protected but a hard line should be drawn against extremism of any kind.
“The Senate cannot be selective in its condemnation, hate is hate, extremism is extremism,” she said.
Greens senator David Shoebridge accused the government of having the most “hateful” policies towards refugees and asylum seekers.
“Labor, Labor, Labor, attack, attack, attack, dog whistle, dog whistle, dog whistle, and they wonder why neo-Nazis are getting up on the weekend and attacking migration,” he said.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe interjected with accusations that the whole parliament was racist.
“You are a bunch of racists, you are the problem here,” she said.
Labor minister Jenny McAllister moved the government’s amendment to Faruqi’s motion, and said anti-Indian sentiment seen at the protests was racist.
“Our government has zero tolerance for hate and discrimination in all its forms. We are building a safer and more inclusive Australia for everyone,” she said.
In a statement earlier today, Opposition leader Sussan Ley said the anti-immigration protests had been “hijacked”.
“This past weekend, rallies occurred across Australia, attended by people of goodwill, but hijacked by neo-Nazis spouting hate, racism, and resorting to politically motivated violence. That can never be accepted.”
