AUSTRALIA-RALLY Reclaim Australia supporters and anti-racism protesters hold Melbourne rallies

Record ID: 146592

  • Title: AUSTRALIA-RALLY Reclaim Australia supporters and anti-racism protesters hold Melbourne rallies
  • Date: 18th July 2015
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF RISE UP AUSTRALIA PARTY AND RECLAIM AUSTRALIA RALLY ORGANISER DANIEL NALLIAH SAYING: "I'm an immigrant to this country, I called Australia home eighteen years ago and I can see slowly but surely Australia is losing its rights and I don't want to lose those rights. I want to make sure that our sons and daughters have the same righ
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Australia
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACGIJ4FDODU1DQO0UCZ3AO4KKZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: About 150 anti-Islamic, Reclaim Australia supporters rallied near the Victorian State Parliament on Saturday (July 18) carrying Australian flags and banners and listening to speeches criticising Islam and immigrants who do not conform to what they say is their way of life.
    "Australia, the message is very clear. You come here, embrace our way of life, if you think where you come from is better than where you are coming to, shut up, pack up and get out," said Daniel Nalliah, National President of the Rise Up Australia Party and Reclaim Australia rally organiser told the gathered crowd.
    Nalliah said wanted to ensure the next generation would have the same rights that he had now.
    "I'm an immigrant to this country, I called Australia home eighteen years ago and I can see slowly but surely Australia is losing its rights and I don't want to lose those rights. I want to make sure that our sons and daughters have the same rights that we have right now," said Nalliah.
    More than 400 hundred police officers held back several hundred anti-racism protesters who tried to disrupt the Reclaim Australia rally by stopping supporters joining them.
    The anti-racism protesters chanted, "Nazi scum, off our streets" and tried to push through the police line but were met with resistance.
    "We are not going to stand for racism and Nazis marching through Melbourne. So this rally, which is about twenty time bigger than the far right shows to Australia and shows to the world that Melbourne is a left-wing city. Melbourne is a city that rejects racism, Melbourne is a city that stand solid, against neo-liberalism but we're are not going to take the path of division and scapegoating of our minorities,"said anti-racism protest organiser, Stephen Jolly.
    Victorian police told Reuters that four people were arrested.
    Reclaim Australia is also planning rallies at various cities around Australia on Sunday (July 19).
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