By Andrew Martin
Countering Fascism
This Sunday, 19 October, March For Australia held their second anti-immigration rally in the streets of Melbourne/Naarm. The first was held on August 31st and culminated in the violent assault by the NSN on Camp Sovereignty. This time round, their numbers were much smaller, perhaps no more than 500 people, but it was hard to gauge as the overwhelming numbers of police kept us apart. It was the police actions at the rally that were the most concerning aspect of Sunday’s events.
The police used tactics aimed at creating confrontations to unleash an unprecedented level of violence towards those demonstrating against fascism, while protecting the March for Australia demonstrators. The police horses and riot police were aimed towards the anti-fascist demonstrators. The police used capsicum spray, flash-bang grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets, hospitalising at least one person.
The black-block tactics of some anarchists deserve scrutiny, as they escalated tensions that may have been better managed if they were not present. Such tactics give cover to the police to employ the use of heavy-handed repression whilst doing nothing to help the rally defend itself from the state.
A united front of socialist organisations organised the counter rally, mobilising rank and file trade union activists, and student organisations to show solidarity against the rise of the far-right, but our numbers were also down compared to August 31st.
Purpose of the Demonstration
The primary aim of the demonstration was to publicly reject fascism and confront March Australia after they held a sizable demonstration on 31 August. The main slogans were “no room for racism and fascism” and “no white Australia”. The intent was to create a groundswell of support to head off the threat of a resurgent far-right, as stated in the flyers promoting the event, “We need to show that our side, the side of humanity and solidarity, is far bigger than they could ever be”.
Event Proceedings
The counter demonstration started at 11 am at the State Library, where participants gathered, carrying banners and placards with messages such as “No to Fascism”, “Unity Against Hate”, and “Diversity is Strength”. Speakers from various organisations addressed the crowd, sharing personal stories and calling for continued resistance against far-right movements. Starting the rally one hour earlier than traditional rallies held by the left may have exacerbated the lower turnout..
The march departed well before 12, and proceeded along an unfamiliar route at one stage, heading downhill along a street hidden from any mainstream thoroughfare, which is the moment the police used to split the protest into two. They used their newly given police powers to order people to remove their face covering, which included masks that protect from covid and other airborne diseases. When youth and sections of the black block didn’t comply, the police used force, throwing them to the ground.
Their actions appeared to be a pre-planned provocation. They deliberately created an arrestable situation. At this point, the black block also escalated in retaliation with some rocks and bottles thrown at the police and physical confrontations with cops as they de-arrested one of their comrades. The police claim one cop was injured. That may or may not be true, but it is clear the black block was ready for a scuffle.
The police seized their moment with gusto. They unleashed an arsenal of weaponry at a level I have never seen before, not in 25 years of activism. They had the carefully crafted scenario they wanted, manufactured for all the media, which, from the Age to Sky News After Dark, repeated the narrative of violent protestors.
The flash bang grenades and pepper spray were very effective at rupturing the march. The Camp Sovereignty crew decided to march back to their camp, drawing a sizable portion of the protest – in order to protect their camp. The Red Block/ CARF decided to proceed to parliament to confront the fascists. A number of protestors on our side were already there and it appears we did outnumber the fascists, but we lost the flag arms race. I think there were more Australian flags than attendees at the March Australia rally. I also spotted an Israeli flag.
But the cops were determined to wreak havoc. Again, they dispersed our assembly, charging with horses and using their bag of tricks of pain infliction. I think it was at this point that the rubber bullets, flash bang grenades and tear gas were fired and we were dispersed.
Police commander Wayne Cheeseman also fronted the media, pouring a box of rocks on the ground, fulminating like a raging bull, saying, “people came to pick a fight with the police”. He makes his intentions quite clear that the police are going to crack down hard on left-wing demonstrations, i.e the violence we experienced will get worse. He also states the March for Australia group, the group openly promoting white supremacy, and who worked with the NSN who attacked Camp Sovereignty, were “peaceful and engaging”. Chilling stuff – this after they shot someone with rubber bullets that led to quite severe bruising and bleeding.
March For Australia protestors were also allowed to pass with ease through police lines to the side of the counter protestors, waving their large flags and clearly provoking a reaction. This gives lie to the claim that police tactics were only there to “prevent clashes”
None of the speakers today made any great impressions on me (perhaps I was feeling careworn).. It was good to hear from a former construction worker, but unions were notably absent. There were some union banners but no seriously organised union contingents.
There were few people actually in the city that would’ve witnessed what happened. In that regard, the main impact of the rally and march will be the way it’s sensationalised by the media and weaponised by the state.
The Left’s Response
While the Left needs to acknowledge the failure of these rallies to mobilise larger numbers of people and broader layers of society, they are ethnically diverse and youthful. It’s also encouraging that March Australia numbers were well down. However, we need a discussion that draws lessons from today’s experience and weighs up the usefulness of these rallies.
We are met with too heavy a police presence to confront the fascists, and our numbers are too small for our side to make any serious headway. We must reconcile with the limitations of our side in this fight.
There are some disturbing trends with politicians from One Nation and Bob Katter supporting the March Australia rallies. On the other hand, we are politically cut off from the labour movement or any sizeable movement that could decisively deal a blow to the rise of the far-right.
The Left should refrain from the argy-bargy of who is to blame for the tactical decisions of the day, as it won’t constructively build a better movement. We should, however, reserve the right to openly criticise the tactics of the black-block as they are jeopardising our security and the safety of all those in the cross-hairs of fascism.
Looking Ahead
The violence we experienced should give us pause for reflection. The responsibility for the violence and pain inflicted ultimately lies with the Victorian ALP government, which has given police unprecedented powers and an impetus to use them. The events of today and their political implications are extremely disturbing. It’s important to place this in an international context with the Trump government waging war on cities like Portland, Chicago and New York, the rise of fascism in Europe, and the recent severe instances of police and military violence in the Global South, in Peru or Indonesia, for example.
It is also clear that two years of Palestine solidarity protests are a key reason that the twinned tactics of fascist blackshirts and riot police are being normalised in Melbourne / Naarm. It is no coincidence that this is the city that saw almost 2 years of weekly protests for Palestine and is currently seeing the worst violence being unleashed against the left in the country. Whilst riot bullets and fully armed riot police were first deployed in Melbourne during anti-lockdown protests, they have now become almost standard operating procedure against non-violent Palestine and anti-fascist left protests since the Disrupt Land Force Picket of September 2024.
It is imperative to build the movement against fascism, but we need a discussion on the strategy and tactics that are going to be useful. The socialist movement is making small inroads at this time into the labour movement, so there is potential to turn this situation around. Still, we need a balanced approach that doesn’t suck us into getting crushed by the police.
An upshot of these rallies, even if they appear bad in the media, is that they have the potential to build greater solidarity across the left.
Leave a Reply