Australian
police fired pepper spray to break up clashes between right-wing nationalists
and anti-racism protesters on the streets of Melbourne on Sunday, the latest
protest held by anti-immigration groups in the country.
Far-right
activists from the True Blue Crew, which says it is opposed to refugees and the
"Islamisation" of Australia, faced off with members of a left-wing
coalition promoting tolerance in the city.
Australia
has seen a rise in far-right activist groups and political parties opposed to
Islam and Asian immigration following a number of ‘lone wolf’ attacks by
home-grown Islamist radicals.
Victoria
Police said one person was arrested for possession of a weapon and one detained
for breach of the peace, and a knife and a knuckle duster were confiscated.
“Police were
forced to deploy capsicum spray when a small number of protestors attempted to
breach a police line, with one person given aftercare as a result of the
capsicum spray,” a spokeswoman said.
TV footage
showed nationalist protesters holding Australian flags on poles or draped
around their shoulders, while opposition protesters held placards with
anti-racism messages.
The rally
attracted hundreds of protesters and a heavy police presence kept the opposing
groups separated, local media reported.
Australia, a
staunch ally of the U.S., has been on high alert for home-grown Islamist
attacks since 2014 and authorities say they have thwarted a number of plots.
Far-right
groups and political parties like Pauline Hanson’s One Nation have seized on
the mood to push anti-immigration agendas.
Concern
about immigration has also seeped into the mainstream political discourse, with
the governing Liberal-National coalition vowing to tighten rules around
citizenship and require applicants to demonstrate how they have embraced
“Australian values”.
Phillip
Galea, a fixture at rallies organized by the True Blue Crew, was charged with
planning a terror attack in August last year.
It was the
first time federal terrorism laws had been used to target such right-wing
groups.
REUTERS*
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