No one that went to those marches was ‘well intentioned’. The people who went to these marches didn’t go because of any reason based in fact. They went because things are shit for the middle and lower class, but it’s easier to blame foreigners than to hold corporations and the rich to account. The people who marched are doughy brained racists, who were stupid enough to go to a rally that fascists attended, and then cheer them on.
Immigration numbers have been on the decline for the last 18 months after the expected post-Covid jump. This is coming from the Australian Bureau of Staristics: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/mar-2025
Immigration is a boost to our economy, and restrictions on the type of workers who are immigrating already exist to boost the workforces that white Australians are leaving fallow.
My aunt went to the local march. My aunt who is married to my uncle, the first generation immigrant. But he obviously doesn’t count because he was born in Ireland. The fascists may have put some things in her head that day, but she went to the march of her own volition.
It was confusing for good reason. As the article explains, and as people here were saying before the rally, the marches were astroturfed by the NSN, from the start. It’s unfortunate that so many people bought into their trick, and it’s good to see many of the well-intentioned people had the guts to stand up once they realised they were being conned.
The NSN thought they could draw people into their tent by having half of them pretend to be “everyday Aussies” and by appealing to the cookers in the freedom movement, but at the end of the day, even cookers know that Nazis need to be forced out. Good on the people there who tried, but ultimately, anyone who goes to the next March for Australia now that they know the NSN are real, coordinated, dodgy manipulators and welcomed back by the MfA organisers… this time there aren’t any excuses.
and it’s good to see many of the well-intentioned people had the guts to stand up once they realised they were being conned.
Did they? Sure, a few of the organisers tried to control things on the day, but almost all of the commentary I have seen (admittedly) online in response from people who attended has been either defence or deflection. My impression is that the overwhelming response was heads in the sand and pretend the neo-Nazis “hijacked” the rallies, even though there was so much evidence right from the start that disproved this argument.
Tom Tanuki had a great video detailing some speakers and attendees standing up to them, along with pointing out their plain clothes stooges manufacturing fake support, starting using the same chants in each state, and their other manipulation tactics. The video has been taken down by a copyright claim (edit: see reply!). I also know a couple of socialists who were present in the rallies to provide updates, who felt the crowd was a 50/50 split for support and rejection when the Nazi speaker got the mic. And after seeing horrible interpretations of the event like that from Red Flag (basically imagining every single person there was a white middle-class lost cause), I emphasise that many people there were tricked and didn’t just roll over or use their megaphone like Katters.
But yes. You’re right. Head in the sand has been something I’ve seen plenty of too, and this time they have no “ignorance” excuse. Nazis ran the major rallies. We weren’t just calling people ‘nazis’ as a scary strawman, they were real, they controlled the rallies, and they are planning to do it again.
might have been the most confusing march i’ve ever seen, a bunch of well intending people with a bunch of angry confused nutters
the only thing I got from it was that there’s a decent amount of people who want immigration numbers reduced
“Well intending people”?
No one that went to those marches was ‘well intentioned’. The people who went to these marches didn’t go because of any reason based in fact. They went because things are shit for the middle and lower class, but it’s easier to blame foreigners than to hold corporations and the rich to account. The people who marched are doughy brained racists, who were stupid enough to go to a rally that fascists attended, and then cheer them on.
Immigration numbers have been on the decline for the last 18 months after the expected post-Covid jump. This is coming from the Australian Bureau of Staristics: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/mar-2025 Immigration is a boost to our economy, and restrictions on the type of workers who are immigrating already exist to boost the workforces that white Australians are leaving fallow.
My aunt went to the local march. My aunt who is married to my uncle, the first generation immigrant. But he obviously doesn’t count because he was born in Ireland. The fascists may have put some things in her head that day, but she went to the march of her own volition.
It was confusing for good reason. As the article explains, and as people here were saying before the rally, the marches were astroturfed by the NSN, from the start. It’s unfortunate that so many people bought into their trick, and it’s good to see many of the well-intentioned people had the guts to stand up once they realised they were being conned.
The NSN thought they could draw people into their tent by having half of them pretend to be “everyday Aussies” and by appealing to the cookers in the freedom movement, but at the end of the day, even cookers know that Nazis need to be forced out. Good on the people there who tried, but ultimately, anyone who goes to the next March for Australia now that they know the NSN are real, coordinated, dodgy manipulators and welcomed back by the MfA organisers… this time there aren’t any excuses.
Did they? Sure, a few of the organisers tried to control things on the day, but almost all of the commentary I have seen (admittedly) online in response from people who attended has been either defence or deflection. My impression is that the overwhelming response was heads in the sand and pretend the neo-Nazis “hijacked” the rallies, even though there was so much evidence right from the start that disproved this argument.
Tom Tanuki had a great video detailing some speakers and attendees standing up to them, along with pointing out their plain clothes stooges manufacturing fake support, starting using the same chants in each state, and their other manipulation tactics. The video has been taken down by a copyright claim (edit: see reply!). I also know a couple of socialists who were present in the rallies to provide updates, who felt the crowd was a 50/50 split for support and rejection when the Nazi speaker got the mic. And after seeing horrible interpretations of the event like that from Red Flag (basically imagining every single person there was a white middle-class lost cause), I emphasise that many people there were tricked and didn’t just roll over or use their megaphone like Katters.
But yes. You’re right. Head in the sand has been something I’ve seen plenty of too, and this time they have no “ignorance” excuse. Nazis ran the major rallies. We weren’t just calling people ‘nazis’ as a scary strawman, they were real, they controlled the rallies, and they are planning to do it again.
Here’s a mirror of Tom Tanuki’s video:
How neo-Nazis captured the March for Australia
Thanks mate. Tagging @Ilandar@lemmy.today
Thank you!