Copyright abc
Firebrand Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has withdrawn from an upcoming anti-immigration rally where she was promoted as the "headline speaker" alongside other guests, including Tommy Robinson, a British far-right activist and one-time member of a fascist political party. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Senator Nampijinpa Price encouraged her followers to attend the march in Sydney on November 29 and "unite to hear the voices that matter most — those of everyday Aussies demanding real change". "Honoured to stand with fellow Australians who share our unyielding commitment to national sovereignty and prosperity," Senator Nampijinpa Price wrote. However, Senator Nampijinpa Price's office has told the ABC she is no longer attending "due to personal commitments" — a decision that will likely come as a relief to Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who is already contending with deep internal divisions over climate policy and the party's direction. The rally is one of several being organised by "Put Australia First", a group that promotes itself as "prioritising Australian values", pushing for immigration reform, freedom of speech and affordable power. Among the speakers still listed are Tommy Robinson, via video link, former One Nation candidate Stuart Bonds and professional cage-fighter turned anti-lockdown campaigner Nick Patterson. Mr Robinson, one of Britain's most prominent far-right activists, founded the now-defunct anti-Islam group English Defence League and has a history of criminal convictions, with tech billionaire Elon Musk stepping in to fund his most recent legal battle. In a media release, Put Australia First has indicated it has the necessary approvals for the Sydney rally, but criticised the Sydney City Council for denying the group a stage and forcing it to change its planned route to "prioritise groups that are obviously anti-Australian". Far-right agitators concern to security agencies New South Wales police have been under scrutiny after they authorised a Neo-Nazi demonstration outside state parliament on Saturday, which featured 60 people dressed in black alongside a banner that read "Abolish the Jewish Lobby". That rally was organized by the National Socialist Group, which is rebranding itself as White Australia, whose propaganda could prompt "spontaneous violence" according to ASIO boss Mike Burgess. "Even if the organisation does not engage in terrorism, I remain deeply concerned by its hateful, divisive rhetoric and increasingly violent propaganda, and the growing likelihood these things will prompt spontaneous violence, particularly in response to perceived provocation" Mr Burgess said in a recent speech. Police and security agencies are increasingly sounding the alarm about the rise of far-right groups, nationalist extremism and "the growth in grievances, conspiracies and anti-authority beliefs." The trend, he said, began before COVID, but accelerated in response to lockdowns and then in response to the protracted war in Gaza. It is unclear when Senator Nampijinpa Price withdrew from the upcoming Put Australia First rally, but communications manager and anti-lockdown protester Monica Smit appeared to allude to her appearance — without naming her — in a Facebook post in October. "Our headline speaker … is one of the MOST prominent voices advocating for common sense and the preservation of Australia's culture and way of life," the post from October 21 read. "We are completely humbled that she has agreed to speak." The Liberal senator regularly courts controversy and was forced to step down from the shadow ministry in September when she repeatedly refused to endorse Ms Ley as her leader. Aligned with conservatives and leadership aspirants Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie, Senator Nampijinpa Price is popular among Liberal members at a time when the party is both depleted in numbers and divided over its future.
