Meanwhile, a group of about 150 people stood in the Cessnock Performing Arts Centre vehicle park and protested against the Reclaim Australia group’s march. One is labelled a rally against “racism, hate and bigotry”, while the other is protesting the proposal for a mosque at Buchanan, with organisers saying it has nothing to do with racism. “We represent the mainstream Australians, we’re just ordinary mums and dads”, Mr Holt said.
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Sunday’s rallies are the latest of several held this year by the Reclaim Australia movement, which claims to fight the encroachment of Islamic culture and laws in Australia.
In Canberra, anti-Islam protesters were also met by counter-demonstrators from the Canberra Anti-Racism Network.
They have called on both sides to rally peacefully.
At a rival rally at the opposite end of Martin Place, Reclaim Australia protesters held two minutes’ silence – broken by calls of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” – for victims of terrorism worldwide.
Reclaim Australia and pro-democracy groups are holding rival rallies across the country.
There have been reports of scuffles at the Sydney protests and of counter-protesters pushing back against police attempting to keep the two groups separate.
Police and anti-racism protesters have clashed in a rally at Martin Place as officers tried to contain the rally from spreading out along Macquarie Street in central Sydney. “Only then, as a united front will we defeat the radicals”.
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Ms Parsons encouraged everyone who wanted to “live in peace to stand up and be counted” and come along to the rally.
