Fraser Anning criticised by Aboriginal Elder after attending far-right rally

The controversial senator said he attended the demonstration out of concern that violence by "Sudanese gangs" is spreading across Australia.

Independent Senator Fraser Anning attending a protest organised by Neil Erikson at St Kilda beach.

Independent Senator Fraser Anning alongside protest organiser Neil Erikson at St Kilda beach. Source: AAP

An Aboriginal Elder from Fraser Anning's electorate says the controversial senator doesn't represent the views of the Murri community.

The politician said he attended a far-right rally in Melbourne on Saturday because he believed that “African gang violence” was spreading across the country.

"These issues are not just confined to Melbourne anymore, as we have seen they are rapidly spreading to my own state," the senator said in a statement.

Queensland Police have denied there was a gang issue in their state.

Sam Watson - a veteran Indigenous activist, author and filmmaker based in Brisbane – believes Mr Anning is out of touch with his constituents.

"He certainly doesn’t represent us, doesn’t represent our points of view," he told NITV News.

"We’d just like to know why he’s using taxpayers' [money], from hard working Queenslanders, to cavort with these thugs down in Melbourne who use Nazi memorabilia, swastikas and the Nazi salute."

The rally was organised by far-right ultra-nationalists, the United Patriots Front whose members were filmed performing the 'Sieg Heil' Nazi salute at the event.

Mr Watson also said it represented the "dark side of the Australian psyche".

"That’s the dark side globally, where you have these neo-Nazi extremists coming forward to again target people because of their race, target people because of their ethnicities and backgrounds," he said.

"Aboriginal people, since the very beginning of our struggles, we’ve always joined with other marginalised minorities across the community and supported each other.”

Senator Anning sits as an independent after leaving both One Nation and the Katter Australia Party.

Mr Watson joined Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in encouraging Queenslanders to vote Sen. Anning out of office.

"Australia has developed as a diverse, multicultural society – let’s support that, let’s strengthen that, and let’s make sure that we don’t have people like Fraser Anning bobbing up in the future senate," he said.


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By Ella Archibald-Binge


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