The marches were promoted by various politicians and commentators, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, One Nation WA MLC Rod Caddies, federal MP Bob Katter, and neo-Nazi organisation National Socialist Network.[1][13] It was reported that the Sydney protest was organised by pseudonymous nationalist figure Bec Freedom.[9][10]
The protests garnered significant media attention inside Australia and caused concerns among some migrant community groups.[14] Police estimated the number of attendees at protests to be around 54,050, across the country.[15][16][17]
An estimated 600 people attended the anti-immigration rally in Echuca/Moama.[20]
Newcastle – Foreshore Park
An estimated 500 people attended the anti-immigration rally in Newcastle.[20] No arrests occurred at this demonstration.[21]
Sydney – Belmore Park
An estimated 15,000 people were at the anti-immigration rally in Sydney, with between 2000 and 3000 people at a coinciding pro-Palestine march according to acting assistant commissioner Scott Tanner.[11][20][22] The march began from Belmore Park near Central Station to Victoria Park in Camperdown, where speeches were given. NSW Libertarian MP, John Ruddick, was among the speakers at the rally.[23] One woman was arrested in Hyde Park and was charged with breaching the peace.[23]
Queensland
Brisbane – Roma Street Parklands
Police estimated that 6,000 people attended the protest.[20] The march began from Roma Street Parkland and continued to the courtyard of Parliament House and the surrounding City Botanic Gardens. Queensland Libertarian Party president Lachlan Lade was among the speakers at the rally. Queensland Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Todd Reid commended the "overall peaceful behaviour" of the protest with only two people being arrested. One man was arrested and charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer and another was detained for a breach of the peace.[24]
Cairns - "Freedom Park", Esplanade
According to the The Cairns Post, thousands gathered for the march in Cairns. The march began at Freedom Park on the Cairns Esplanade and continued to Fogarty Park, also on the Cairns Esplanade.[25]
Townsville – Anzac Memorial Park
According to the ABC around 400 people attended the anti-immigration march in Townsville. The march was led by members of the Katter's Australian Party. Former party leader, Bob Katter gave a speech at the march and was joined by Queensland state MPs Nick Dametto and Robbie Katter.[26]
South Australia
Adelaide – Rundle Park
South Australian Police estimate that 15,000 people were present for the anti-immigration rally in Adelaide, including both participants in the March and the counter-protestors. The march began from Rundle Park up North Terrace to Parliament House and then onto Peace Park via King William Road. It was ended by organiser Mark Aldridge after being "hijacked" by the National Socialist Network, resulting in an altercation between protesters. [27][28] Three people were arrested and charged in the protests, two were charged with "wearing articles of disguise" and failing to state personal details and the other for assaulting police.[29]
A marcher at the Adelaide rally was seen holding a placard depicting Dezi Freeman, the alleged perpetrator of the Porepunkah police shootings that had occurred 5 days before the rally, where Freeman allegedly murdered two police officers and wounded another. At the time of the march, Freeman was on the run from police.[30] The man presented to a police station a few days later where he was arrested and charged with displaying offensive material in a public place.[30][31]
Tasmania
Hobart – Salamanca Lawns
Top to bottom:March For Australia protestors in Perth, near Parliament House; March for Australia protestors gather in Hobart.
Approximately 300 protestors attended. No arrests occurred at this demonstration, however riot police were mobilised due to a clash between March for Australia and Rally for Hope protestors. Notable attendees included One Nation candidate for Tasmania Lee Hanson, and City of Clarence councillor and former One Nation candidate Emma Goyne.[32] March for Australia drew a larger number of participants than the counter-rally.[32] Small decentralised demonstration in Launceston, Tasmania.[22]
Victoria
Melbourne – Flinders Street station
Police estimated that participants of the March for Australia demonstration and counter-protestors numbered approximately 5,000.[1]Thomas Sewell, leader of the National Socialist Network (NSN), spoke at the rally in Melbourne.[22][33][13]
During the protest, a group from the NSN, broke away from the larger protest and stormed Camp Sovereignty.[9][34] The group of attackers were reported to be armed with pipes and large tree branches, and appeared to target women and older members at the site's encampment, as well as damaging the sacred site.[33] Sewell and other members of the NSN were arrested on 2 September 2025, in relation to the incident.[35]
Wodonga
An estimated 250 people attended the anti-immigration rally in Wodonga.[20][36]
Western Australia
Perth – Supreme Court Gardens
An estimated 10,000 people were at the anti-immigration rally in Perth according to Western Australia Police.[37][38] The march began from Supreme Court Gardens and marched up St Georges Terrace to Parliament House, where speeches were then given.[38] WA One Nation MP, Rod Caddies, was among the speakers at the rally.[38] Three people were arrested in connection with the protest: two were charged with weapon related offences and the other for assaulting a public officer.[37] A further 13 were issued move-on notices.[37] Perth's rally appeared more subdued than those in the eastern states,[37] with only a few hundred counter-protestors.[38]
Reactions
Some leaders of multicultural communities warned community members to stay inside and avoid the protests in case of potential violence.[39]
Federal MP Bob Katter held a press conference on 28 August, in which he expressed support for the protests. He was asked a question by a Nine News reporter about Katter's Lebanese heritage, to which Katter responded by threatening to punch the reporter in the mouth.[40][41][42]
The Australian government noted their concern surrounding the protests and called them "Un-Australian".[12][39] Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded to Katter's comments, saying, "You're speaking to someone called Albanese. We've got a Senate leader called [Penny] Wong. Migration enriches. Except for the First Australians, we're all either migrants or descendants of them."[43]
Elon Musk shared a post on Twitter that incorrectly claimed that 150,000 people attended the Brisbane and Sydney protests. Police estimated that attendance at those protests was 21,000.[20]
Controversy regarding organisers
ABC News Verify reported that organisers of the March for Australia rally had previously shared material associated with white nationalist ideas, including pro-Nazi and pro-Hitler content. The rally's website initially promoted "remigration", a far-right concept advocating the deportation of non-European peoples from Western countries, but the reference was removed shortly after the site went live.[9]
While the organisers reject the "far-right" label, researchers have linked their messaging to broader extremist narratives. Organizer "Bec Freedom" was captured on a recording saying, "We need violence, I'm sorry, but we need f—ing violence."[44] When confronted by 2GB reporter Ben Fordham, Freedom later apologised, but she was also recorded in a 2 hour livestream on X on 11 August, advising people on how to covertly introduce far-right ideas to make them sound more palatable to the mainstream. "... this is how I tried to explain it to somebody. I say, 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." She emphasized that by framing it this way, it would be more acceptable to the Australian public, as she believes that the concept of “Australian” refers only to white people or those with European white heritage.[45][9]
Kaz Ross, an independent researcher of extremism, said this framing reflected a strategy to obscure far-right affiliations, noting organisers' prior references to "remigration" and "the great replacement," both linked to white supremacist ideology. Political sociologist Joshua Roose of Deakin University told ABC that far-right groups, including neo-Nazis, exploit concerns about migration, crime, and economic insecurity to advance "a much deeper, hate-filled, racist agenda," while emphasising that reasoned discussion on immigration policy remains possible.[9]
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