More than 300 people gathered at the ‘Free Speech’ rally held in Sydney’s Belmore Park. More than 70 policemen were deployed in view of any possible tension. These included riot control squad personnel and mounted policemen. A counter-protest was also organized in Hyde Park against the rally.
Brian Marlow, founder of nationalist group Revive Australia, led the rally. He claimed that the ‘March for Australia’ movement that started in August 2025 mobilized people on issues like immigration and national identity.
Marlow linked the recent election performance of ‘One Nation’ to this political environment and said that the party is continuously performing better in the by-elections. He also mentioned the victory of ‘One Nation’ in the secret by-election in Western Australia.
However, an interesting paradox also appears here. One Nation supporters were present at the rally and some people were wearing the party’s T-shirts, but there has been criticism of One Nation’s policies in recent days on the organizers’ social media platforms.
The biggest difference is regarding the number of migration. One Nation has indicated it will accept the annual net migration target of 1.3 million, while many rally attendees were calling for a much stricter approach. The crowd supported slogans like ‘remigration’ and ending mass migration.
Immigration is no longer just a matter of economic policy. It has become part of the political debate along with questions related to employment, housing, population growth, social services and national identity.
The increasing support of ‘One Nation’ is being seen as an attempt to give political form to this dissatisfaction.