Council is emphatically opposed to a demonstration, planned for the foreshore this weekend, saying “racism has no place in Newcastle”.
It’s understood the March for Australia rally will take place from 9am on Sunday 31 August, despite organisers failing to obtain the necessary approvals for the controversial event.
On the group’s social media accounts, it states the nation is “changing in ways most of us never agreed to”.
“People are waking up to a country they barely recognise,” it declared.
“Endless migration, weak leadership and political cowardice have brought us here… and it’s time to put a stop to it.
“Australians from every walk of life will gather in Newcastle.
“This is our city, our home… and our voices will be heard.”
But, City of Newcastle (CN) has criticised those behind the gathering.
“The event organisers do not have an Event Authorisation for the use of Foreshore Park or any other location and have had no engagement with council,” a spokesperson said.
“City of Newcastle also understands they haven’t engaged with NSW Police or applied for a Form One (Notice of Intention to Hold a Public Assembly).
“Council supports the right to peaceful protest but does not tolerate the racism promoted by event organisers.”
Meanwhile, potential clashes between anti-racism and anti-immigration rallies could lead to an escalation of violence that tears at the fabric of Australian society, a terrorism expert warns.
The nation’s leaders have rushed to condemn the weekend’s protests linked to white-nationalist extremists, too.
Michael Zekulin, a terrorism researcher at the Australian National University, said violence could erupt if people started identifying with one group at the expense of others in the community.
“This is where things can become potentially dangerous when you have individuals who are sort of espousing or blaming other organisations for the problems of their group,” he told AAP.
“If that starts to get out of hand, if there are confrontations, that can sort of feed into larger things as they pick up more momentum.”
Anti-racism marches will also take place at the same time in Sydney and Melbourne that could see the rival groups come head-to-head.
NSW Police is expected to send up to 1,000 officers to patrol parts of the inner-city, while Victoria Police will declare the Melbourne CBD a designated area, allowing people to be searched for weapons and be asked to remove face coverings.
Dr Zekulin said social media had played a role in encouraging copy-cat behaviour among extremist groups.
“It’s very clear that these individuals travel in the same circles on the internet,” he explained.
“They see each other, they see what other groups who have similar beliefs to them are doing, and then they will try to imitate or mimic that.”
Indian migrant workers have expressed fears they will be targeted by protesters at the anti-migration rallies.
The Albanese government has declared there is no place for hate in Australia.
While the Coalition called for unity and respect for diverse communities, hitting out at reports particular non-white ethnic groups might be targeted.
Greens Immigration spokesperson David Shoebridge said anti-migrant rhetoric inside Parliament House and in the media had fed into extremist views.
“We are in solidarity with every community that is targeted and concerned by these hateful rallies,” he said.
- With AAP
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