Melburnians will join Bendigo to send neo-Nazis packing

This Saturday, October 10, Melburnians will join the community of Bendigo to defend the city against the neo-Nazi United Patriots Front (UPF). On this so-called global day of action against Islam, the UPF will hold its second rally in Bendigo. Here, some residents had attempted unsuccessfully to stop the construction of a mosque.

The Bendigo Action Coalition (BAC) is bringing Bendigoans together in a Rally for Diversity—Say No to UPF in Bendigo. The counter-mobilisation has the strong support of Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (CARF), a united front of unionists, Left organisations and social movement activists that organised numerous counter-demonstrations repelling the UPF and the far-right Reclaim Australia from Melbourne.

CARF activist Vashti Kenway says, “For months, the UPF has exploited Islamophobic prejudice — whipped up and fuelled by successive governments — in order to gain a foothold wherever they can. But they’ve been consistently routed in Melbourne and other cities across the country. They’re now descending upon Bendigo, where they think they can recruit. But the community isn’t having it.”

A BAC statement explains, “Unless Bendigo wants to accept a consistent neo-Nazi presence as a feature of our town, we will have to stand up to them… We feel it’s extremely important to challenge this ideology immediately before it grows or is seen as acceptable here.”

Debbie Brennan, National Union of Workers member and CARF activist, adds, “Islamophobia is fascists’ first wedge to split apart the working class community. They then divide us up: unionists, women, First Nations, immigrants and refugees, LGBTIQ folks, people of colour, with disabilities and so on. The global economy is in meltdown, and those who head it will turn to fascism to destroy our collective capacity to revolt. We have to drive out the fascists now.”

The Rally for Diversity starts 12.00 pm at Bendigo Town Hall.