Let's start with the most glaring irony of August 31st's "March for Australia" protests: groups of people whose ancestors arrived uninvited on this continent just 236 years ago are marching to "take back" a country that was never theirs to begin with. As a First Nations educator, I find myself simultaneously amused and deeply concerned by the spectacular lack of self-awareness displayed by those claiming to defend "our culture" whilst standing on land that has been cultivated, protected, and cherished by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for over 65,000 years. Before we dive into the fear-mongering narratives being peddled about modern immigration, let's establish some fundamental truths. This continent, now called Australia, has been home to the world's oldest continuous culture for millennia. We didn't need defending. We didn't need "discovering." And we certainly didn't invite the First Fleet in 1788. The real "mass immigration" event that changed this land "in ways most of us never agreed to" (to borrow the protesters' own words) began with 11 ships carrying approximately 1,500 people – mostly convicts and their guards – who established a penal colony without permission, treaty, or acknowledgement of the sophisticated societies already thriving here. Since then, wave after wave of immigrants have arrived: the gold rush brought Chinese, Americans, and Europeans in the 1850s; post-WWII migration brought millions from war-torn Europe; the abolition of the White Australia Policy in the 1970s opened doors to Asian and Middle Eastern communities; and today, Australia continues to be built on the contributions of people from every corner of the globe. When someone shouts about taking "our country back," First Nations peoples can't help but wonder: back from whom, exactly? And to what point in history would they like to return? Perhaps they'd like to go back to 1901, when the Immigration Restriction Act (the White Australia Policy) was enacted to keep out anyone who wasn't European? Or maybe 1962, when Aboriginal people were finally granted the right to vote in federal elections – a full 60 years after Federation? The uncomfortable truth for these protesters is that if we genuinely wanted to "defend our culture" and stop unwanted immigration, that ship sailed – quite literally – in 1788. Let's address the elephant in the room with some hard facts that seem to have escaped the protest organisers' research: Immigration is not the housing crisis villain:
During COVID-19, when Australia's borders were effectively closed and migration hit century-low levels, house prices actually increased by 25% between March 2020 and December 2021. If migrants were truly the cause of housing unaffordability, prices should have plummeted when immigration stopped. Spoiler alert: they didn't. Migrants create more jobs than they "take":
Research from the Treasury and the Productivity Commission consistently shows that migrants, particularly skilled migrants, are net job creators. They start businesses at higher rates than Australian-born citizens – in fact, migrants are nearly twice as likely to start a business. Immigration literally keeps Australia functioning:
Without immigration, Australia's population would be declining. Our birth rate sits at 1.58 children per woman – well below the replacement rate of 2.1. Who exactly do these protesters think will pay for their pensions, staff their hospitals, and teach their grandchildren? The tax contribution reality:
Migrants contribute billions more in taxes than they consume in government benefits and services. The 2021 Intergenerational Report found that migrants, on average, contribute $8,000 more per year in taxes than they receive in benefits. The pattern is depressingly familiar. When economic anxiety rises, when housing becomes unaffordable, when wages stagnate – rather than examining the systemic issues at play, it's easier to point fingers at the newest arrivals. This exact playbook has been used against: And now, here we are again, with social media algorithms amplifying the same tired xenophobia dressed up in new hashtags. The abstract danger of anti-immigration rhetoric became brutally concrete on Sunday when approximately 40 men, dressed in black and led by known neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, violently attacked Camp Sovereignty following the March for Australia rally. This wasn't just an attack on individuals – it was an assault on sacred Aboriginal ground, a national heritage-listed site that has served as a ceremonial space and corroboree ground since time immemorial. Let's sit with the twisted logic for a moment: migrants and their descendants, carrying the Union Jack (a foreign flag), chanting "white man's land" while attacking First Nations peoples on their own ancestral land. The cognitive gymnastics required to justify this would be impressive if it weren't so violent and tragic. Camp Sovereignty, established by Krautungalung elder Robbie Thorpe, represents everything these extremists fear: a peaceful gathering place where all communities can learn about the true history of this continent, where sovereignty that was never ceded is asserted daily, and where the lie of terra nullius is exposed for what it always was – a convenient fiction to justify theft. This sacred site is also the final resting place of 38 repatriated Victorian Aboriginal ancestors. The attackers didn't just assault the living; they desecrated a burial ground. In any other context, attacking a cemetery would be universally condemned as sacrilege. But when it's Aboriginal sacred sites, somehow the outrage is muted. The National Socialist Network's attack on Camp Sovereignty isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a documented pattern of harassment targeting First Nations peoples during significant events: The progression from online rhetoric to physical violence was predictable. When you spend months dehumanising migrants and First Nations peoples, when you frame demographic change as an existential threat, when you invoke the language of "invasion" and "replacement" – violence becomes not just possible but inevitable. Senator Lidia Thorpe revealed perhaps the most heartbreaking consequence of Sunday's attack: Aboriginal children too frightened to attend school the next day. Think about that. In 2024, First Nations children in Melbourne are missing education because neo-Nazis attacked their community with iron bars while chanting racial slurs. These children aren't learning about historical racism in textbooks – they're living it. They're experiencing the same terror their grandparents and great-grandparents faced, just dressed in different uniforms. The black shirts have replaced the colonial constabulary, but the message remains the same: "You don't belong here." The bitter irony? These children's ancestors have been here for 2,600 generations. The attackers' ancestors? Maybe ten, if we're generous. Elder Robbie Thorpe's question cuts to the heart of systemic failure: "Why weren't they on top of those things when they knew it was a threat?" After violence had already erupted between anti-immigration protesters and counter-demonstrators, after a known terrorist organisation (yes, the NSN is on federal watch lists) had been actively participating, the police somehow failed to prevent 40 armed men from attacking a peaceful gathering at a heritage-listed site. No arrests were made at the scene. Let that sink in. Forty men commit assault with weapons at a sacred site, send four people to hospital, traumatise an entire community, and police make zero arrests on the day. Compare this to the heavy police presence at peaceful Palestinian solidarity protests, where elderly women and students are regularly arrested for holding signs. Compare it to the force used against climate protesters who block traffic. The selective application of law enforcement sends a clear message about whose safety matters and whose doesn't. Robbie Thorpe's analysis deserves attention: "These fullas are becoming desperate… they fear losing grip on the battle in this country for the last 250 years." He's right. The increasing visibility and violence of white supremacist groups isn't a sign of their strength – it's evidence of their panic. More Australians are learning the true history of this continent. The Uluru Statement from the Heart has sparked nationwide conversations about Voice, Treaty, and Truth. Indigenous knowledge is being recognised for its value in addressing climate change. First Nations art, culture, and wisdom are flourishing despite centuries of attempted destruction. The extremists see the writing on the wall: the colonial narrative is crumbling. The comfortable lies about peaceful settlement, empty land, and European superiority are being exposed. And like all dying ideologies, white supremacy is lashing out violently in its death throes. To understand why extremists targeted Camp Sovereignty specifically, you need to understand what it represents. For two years, every Sunday, this space has been open to all people – Black, white, migrant, refugee – to gather, learn, yarn, and reflect. It's a living classroom where non-Aboriginal people can experience Aboriginal culture authentically, where the true history is told, where healing happens. This terrifies white supremacists because it's the antithesis of their worldview. They need division, fear, and ignorance to survive. Camp Sovereignty offers unity, courage, and education. They need people to believe in racial hierarchies. Camp Sovereignty demonstrates that all people can coexist peacefully when colonial violence is removed from the equation. Most threatening of all to their ideology: Camp Sovereignty proves that sovereignty was never ceded. Every Sunday gathering, every ceremony, every yarn is a reminder that despite 236 years of attempted genocide, First Nations peoples are still here, still strong, still sovereign. Despite the violence, despite the trauma, despite children afraid to attend school, Robbie Thorpe's response exemplifies the resilience that has sustained First Nations peoples for 65,000 years: "We're not going away… we're going to turn this into a positive." This is the difference between the Camp Sovereignty community and the neo-Nazis who attacked them. One group operates from love, education, and inclusion. The other from hate, ignorance, and fear. One builds sacred spaces for all people. The other destroys with iron bars and racial slurs. One represents the future of Australia. The other desperately clings to a violent past that most Australians have already rejected. Professor Liz Allen's identification of the four major crises – housing affordability, climate change, gender inequality, and economic insecurity – hits the nail on the head. But let's add some First Nations perspective to why these problems persist: Housing crisis: Perhaps if we stopped allowing negative gearing to benefit property investors, restricted foreign investment in residential property, and built social housing instead of selling it off, we might make progress. The Grattan Institute found that changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing could improve housing affordability by 10-15%. Economic inequality: Australia's wealth inequality has grown dramatically, with the richest 20% now owning 63% of total household wealth. But sure, blame the refugee who's driving your Uber. Climate change:
Australia, per capita, remains one of the world's highest carbon emitters. Indigenous land management practices, refined over 65,000 years, could teach these "defenders of culture" a thing or two about sustainable living. The protest organisers' insistence on "no foreign flags" while demanding a "sea of red and blue" with the Australian flag is perhaps the most beautifully ironic moment in this entire saga. Quick history lesson: The Australian flag, adopted in 1901, features the Union Jack – the flag of a foreign nation (Britain) – occupying the entire upper left quarter. So technically, every Australian flag is 25% foreign flag. The mathematical gymnastics required to reconcile this with their "no foreign flags" rule would be Olympic worthy. Meanwhile, the only truly Australian flag – one that represents the original inhabitants of this land – is the Aboriginal flag, created by Luritja artist Harold Thomas in 1971, or the Torres Strait Islander flag. But something tells me that's not what these protesters had in mind. The rapid spread of these protest messages through coordinated social media campaigns, mysterious funding sources, and algorithm manipulation should concern every Australian. When TikTok videos from accounts with minimal followers suddenly gain hundreds of thousands of views, when protest websites appear days before major events, when known extremist groups attempt to claim ownership – these are not grassroots movements. They're orchestrated campaigns designed to divide and destabilise. The fact that even the organisers can't agree on who's running these protests should be a red flag larger than any they plan to wave. As educators and First Nations peoples, we've learned that the best response to fear-mongering is truth-telling. Here's what every Australian should understand: The protesters talk about defending "our way of life" and "our culture." But whose way of life? Whose culture? If they mean the culture of mateship, of giving everyone a fair go, of building a society where people from all backgrounds can succeed – then immigration is not the threat, it's the foundation. If they mean the culture of exclusion, of white supremacy barely concealed behind economic anxiety, of forgetting that their own ancestors were once the "unwanted" immigrants – then yes, that culture does need defending. From itself. Instead of marching against immigration, here's what Australia needs: To the organisers and supporters of these anti-immigration protests, I offer this reflection: You are descendants of immigrants protesting immigration on stolen land while waving a flag that's literally 25% foreign, claiming to defend a culture that was imposed through colonisation, worried about changes you "never agreed to" in a democracy where First Nations peoples weren't even counted as citizens until 1967. The cognitive dissonance required to maintain this position could power a small city. First Nations peoples watch with a mixture of weariness and determination as another wave of division attempts to crash upon our shores. We've survived 236 years of actual colonisation – we can certainly weather this tantrum from its descendants. To our migrant brothers and sisters facing these protests: You are welcome here. Your contributions are valued. Your safety matters. The same forces that seek to exclude you have tried to erase us for centuries. We stand together. To those who attended these protests: Ask yourself what you're afraid of? Is it truly the software engineer from India, the nurse from the Philippines, or the refugee from Syria who's threatening your way of life? Or is it the systemic inequalities, corporate greed, and political failures that have left you feeling abandoned? The real threat to Australia isn't immigration – it's the divisive fearmongering that seeks to turn us against each other while the truly powerful protect their interests. This land has thrived for 65,000 years on principles of sustainability, community, and respect for Country. Perhaps instead of marching to "take back" what was never yours, you could march towards understanding what was always here. After all, from a First Nations perspective, if anyone should be protesting unwanted immigration, it's us. But we choose education over exclusion, truth-telling over fearmongering, and solidarity over division. Because that's what real sovereignty looks like. If this article has stirred something in you – whether it's discomfort with uncomfortable truths or determination to be part of the solution – we invite you to go deeper. Our
Reconciliation in Action course offers the education that Australia's mainstream curriculum often avoids: Because here's the truth: reconciliation isn't just about Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It's about reconciling the myths we've been told with the truths we must face. It's about reconciling our stated values of fairness and equality with our actual practices. It's about reconciling who we think we are with who we really are – and who we could become. Be part of writing a different story for Australia – one based on truth, justice, and the radical idea that this land is big enough for all of us, except perhaps for those who preach hate while standing on stolen ground. After all, from where we stand – on Country that has sustained life for 65,000 years – the only thing that truly threatens "our way of life" is the continuation of colonial thinking that sees land as property, people as problems, and diversity as danger. Because the best response to hate isn't more hate – it's education that transforms hearts and minds. Join us in moving from fear to understanding, from division to solidarity, from ignorance to education. Enrol in Reconciliation in Action and become part of Australia's truth-telling transformation.The Original Immigration Story Nobody Wants to Talk About
Unpacking the "Take Our Country Back" Rhetoric
The Economic Reality Check: Immigration Built Modern Australia
The Convenient Scapegoat: A Tale as Old as Colonisation
When Fear-Mongering Becomes Violence: The Attack on Sacred Ground
The Pattern of Escalation: From Online Hate to Physical Violence
The Terror in Our Communities: When Children Are Too Afraid to Attend School
Where Were the Police? The Question That Demands an Answer
The Desperation of the Dying Colonial Mindset
Camp Sovereignty: What They're Really Attacking
The Courage to Continue: "We're Not Going Away"
The Real Issues They Don't Want to Address
The "No Foreign Flags" Rule: Peak Irony Achievement Unlocked
The Role of Media and Social Manipulation
Education as Resistance: What We Can Learn
Moving Forward: From Fear to Understanding
The Real March Australia Needs
The Ultimate Irony: We're All on the Same Boat (Except It's Our Land)
Sovereignty Never Ceded, Solidarity Forever
Real Education for Real Change
ENROL NOW - Reconciliation in Action Course
