Victorian 'free speech' rally draws dozens

A group of far-right activists and Sonia Kruger supporters have rallied in Melbourne to denounce the TV host's racial vilification complaint.

Protesters and police at a rally

Protesters have rallied in Melbourne in support of Sonia Kruger and "free speech". (AAP)

Dozens of protesters have rallied in Melbourne in support of Sonia Kruger and incarcerated far-right British activist Tommy Robinson.

The Melbourne "free speech" rally was the first of four to be held nationwide over the weekend by the Australian Liberty Alliance (ALA).

Kruger is currently under fire after calling for an Australian Muslim ban, while Robinson was recently jailed for contempt of court while reporting on a trial where reporting restrictions had been imposed.

The Australian rallies aim to coincide with a central rally in London, where thousands are expected to protest at Whitehall.

"Tommy resonates with a lot of people. He's a working class man, he's like a typical Aussie. They (Australian supporters) feel like what he says is our future here too," organiser Avi Yemini told AAP on Saturday.

The crowd sang the Australian anthem followed by chants for Robinson, with hecklers yelling at the crowd nearby.

"By God we are going to stand up and fight to ensure that freedom continues," Mr Yemini told the crowd.

"Freedom of speech is the fundamental right of every Australian and it is supposed to be the right of every single British citizen too.

"I, you, we all are Tommy Robinson. If that can happen to a man who stands up to defend our rights, it can happen to anyone.

"We have our very own Sonia Kruger who dared, who dared to have an opinion on our immigration policy, who dared to stand up for Donald Trump's Muslim ban... now she's being dragged through the courts."

ALA's Debbie Robinson said "most people in Australia would agree with Sonia Kruger".

The rallies will continue in Sydney on Saturday afternoon, followed by Brisbane and Perth on Sunday.


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Source: AAP



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