Tense scenes unfolded in Melbourne CBD on Saturday, as anti-government protests and anti-racism protesters clashed despite police efforts to keep the groups separated.
Opposing protests took place across all capital cities and some regional areas on Saturday.
Some marched in solidarity with Camp Sovereignty, a burial site and gathering place in Melbourne's CBD that was violently attacked by neo-Nazis in late August. Others marched under the Save Australia and Australia Unites banner, calling for immigration reform and protesting "government corruption".
As police had predicted, things got most heated in Melbourne, where police estimated that roughly 2,500 people from multiple groupsdescended on the city.
Rival rallies reached within 50 metres of each other outside Victoria's parliament, where a large contingent of police officers had erected barriers to keep the groups separated.
Later, smaller groups of demonstrators clashed near Flinders Street Station and the intersection of Bourke and Swanston streets, with police deploying capsicum spray against pro-Palestinian protesters.
In Sydney, police estimated that around 3,500 people were in attendance — 3,000 people at the Save Australia and Australia Unites demonstration and 500 and 600 at the Sovereignty Never Ceded rally.
Australian flags and tributes for Charlie Kirk
Those marching under the banner of Save Australia and Australia Unites — many of whom came bearing Australian flags — called for an end to "mass immigration" and a crackdown on government corruption, although placards showed a mix of motivations for attending.
One placard in Melbourne read: "Migrants are not the problem. Government is the problem".
Another read "Australia for Jesus", while another poster had "Pauline was right" written on it, referencing One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who spoke against Australia's migration levels at national rallies on 31 August.
March For Australia, the group behind the late-August rallies, said they were not associated with Saturday's demonstrations.
In Melbourne, the Save Australia and Australia Unites rallies began at state parliament around midday. Source: SBS News
Some attendees sang songs like Waltzing Matilda and called for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to resign.
A video created by conservative commentator and head of Turning Point Australia, Joel Jammal, promoted the Australia Unites rally as a response to the high cost of housing, stagnating wages and increased demand for public services caused by "mass immigration".
Some attendees also paid tribute to prominent far-right US commentator Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah this week.
In Adelaide, a minute of silence was held for Kirk.
'No hate, no fear'
Meanwhile, counter-protests from Indigenous and Palestinian activist groups also took place, rallying against racism and fascism.
The Sovereignty Never Ceded marches were organised by First Nations organisations as part of a national day of action in response to the recent anti-immigration rallies, which they say saw "racist sentiment topple over into fascist brutality".
In Melbourne, protesters chanted, "No hate, no fear, Nazis are not welcome here."
Source: SBS News
Camp Sovereignty was stormed by far-right sympathisers and neo-Nazis following the anti-immigration March for Australia protests on 31 August.
The attack resulted in damage and serious injuries, and is now the subject of several court cases, most notably involving National Socialist Network leader Thomas Sewell.
Victoria Police Superintendent Troy Papworth said the safety of Camp Sovereignty on Saturday was "front of mind" for the force and extra officers would be in the city, but did not reveal where they would be stationed.
While there were no reports of members of the National Socialist Network at Melbourne protests, multiple people wore patches featuring symbols associated with Nazism at a 'Remigration Rally' in Sydney, ABC News reported.
Remigration is a concept associated with far-right ideologies that calls for the mass deportation of non-white immigrants.
Clashes in Melbourne
Police in Melbourne briefly clashed with Indigenous Sovereignty protesters near Flinders Station as they were being moved on.
One individual wearing an Aboriginal flag draped around their shoulders was capsicum-sprayed in the face by police, a protester told reporters.
"We got blocked three times by VicPol trying to get back to Camp Sovereignty," one protester told reporters, according to the ABC. "They pulled the copper horses on us and all the shielded coppers and the March for Australia only had two lines of police, ours had four."
"The cops pushed our people and started getting aggressive."
Footage obtained by SBS News showed other protesters pouring water into the individual's eyes.
In a statement to SBS News, Victoria Police said they were "required to intervene several times to separate protesters from opposing groups, and OC spray [pepper spray] was deployed".
They said a 29-year-old man was arrested for "criminal damage after an alleged graffiti incident". The man was released at the scene pending summons.
Protesters allege that at least one person was capsicum sprayed in the face by police officers in Melbourne. Source: SBS News
NSW Ambulance said two people were treated by paramedics, but there were no reports of serious injuries.
In Melbourne CBD, specialist squads and officers worked to corral protesters through the city amid fears of violent clashes between opposing protest groups.
In the lead-up to the protests, Victoria Police said it had intelligence that far-right and far-left groups would seek to confront each other.
Victoria Police had extra powers to search people for weapons and direct people to remove face coverings on Saturday in Melbourne CBD.
