Get the latest news to your email inbox FREE!

REGISTER

Get the latest news to your email inbox FREE!

REGISTER
HomeOpinionOpinion: Why marching against immigration is marching backwards

Opinion: Why marching against immigration is marching backwards

On 31 August 2025, waves of rallies under the banner March for Australia swept through major cities.

From Melbourne to Hobart, from Canberra to Adelaide.

While they painted themselves as protests against “mass immigration,” reality told a different story.

Counter-protests flooded streets, carrying signs like “Go home, racists” and “Diversity is strength”.

No, the rallies weren’t about policy; they were about division – rooted in fear, not facts.

Australia’s true identity is migration. Consider these statistics:

• 31.5 per cent of Australians were born overseas – the highest share since the 1890s

• Nearly 48 per cent have at least one parent born overseas

• More than 30 per cent of doctors and allied health staff are foreign-trained

• 50.2 per cent of accountants and nearly double the rate of engineers are overseas-born

• In agriculture, migrant labour is essential – without it, produce rots unattended and supermarkets suffer

The immigrant community is not a burden; they are the backbone of our economy, culture, and progress.

So, what exactly was March for Australia marching for – fear, division, or a false narrative?

Politicians and media keep preaching “tolerance,” but tolerance isn’t the goal – it’s the bare minimum.

Tolerance means putting up with each other.

That’s not unity – that’s disconnection.

What we need in Australia is harmony, coexistence, peace, and acceptance – not grudging tolerance.

Neo-Nazism is terrorism – not protest.

We cannot sugarcoat this.

When people show up dressed to intimidate others, against communities who have migrated to participate, contribute, and co-exist peacefully – it is not protest.

It is terrorism.

Terrorism is the use of threats or violence to instil fear for a political or ideological cause.

Racism dressed up in khakis and baseball caps is still hate.

And Australia has no place for it.

The real route forward is Cultural Intelligence (CQ).

Australia is changing, and so must we.

Division only increases prices, disrupts systems, and erodes trust.

Education, empathy, and CQ offer unity.

We should be:

• Teaching what global migration looks like – not myth, but real numbers and realities

• Promote CQ in schools, businesses, and media – where empathy, humility, and critical thinking are taught, not just diversity slogans

• Build inclusive narratives – that acknowledge migration as core to Australian identity, not something to be fought against

• Expose fear-based politics for what they are: cheap tricks that fracture our society

In Melbourne, when heartfelt Muslims and Jews met in four locations – church halls, art galleries, town halls – they modelled peace.

They built bridges where banners fell.

That is the vision of multicultural Australia – not marching with fear, but standing for connection.

Let’s be clear:

• Migration is not the problem – fear and ignorance are.

• Activism without empathy is activism against ourselves.

• CQ is not optional – it is essential.

Let us become a nation of belonging, not just living side-by-side.

Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Let’s lead with intelligence.

Sala’am. Shalom. Peace be with you.

– What do you think? Let us know at dailyeditor@starnewsgroup.com.au

– What do you think? Tell us at dailyeditor@starnewsgroup.com.au

Previous article
Next article
Digital Edition
Subscribe

Get an all ACCESS PASS to the News and your Digital Edition with an online subscription

Casey’s cellular mapping tool exposes mobile coverage gaps in the region

At a time when much of the world is heavily dependent on mobile and digital services, Casey’s new cellular mapping tool launched in early...
More News

MotoGP to leave Phillip Island, last race this year

After almost three decades, there will no longer be a great procession of motorcycles and cars heading south every October, as the MotoGP will...

Robbers target jewellery stores, Berwick man taken to hospital

Two jewellery stores were targeted on Tuesday 17 February causing a Berwick man to be taken to hospital following a violent encounter. Police responded to...

Truck company fined for pellets spillage

A major transport company, Toll Transport Pty Ltd, has been fined $4070 after its poorly loaded truck poured a blizzard of plastic pellets onto...

Pride of Holden roars on

Brett Crawley is a proud member of Holden’s loyal legion displaying their prize classic cars in Dandenong next month. The Narre Warren North collector, who...

Step back to the Red Mill

Celebrating the centenary of Red Mill, the Sherbrooke Arts Society (SAS) will host an afternoon tea with history, memories, displays and a detailed talk...

New population discovered

A five-year study of two forest areas in south east, South Gippsland has found a relatively unknown population of Strzelecki koalas. Strzelecki koalas are...

Watch out for parthenium weed in interstate fodder

Farmers importing or receiving donated fodder from interstate due to drought or after the recent Victorian bushfires are reminded to watch out for weeds...

Former detectives warn of bikie gangs ‘intimidation tactic’

Empty streets caused by Big Build works are turning parts of southeast into a “playground” for criminals, former detectives and local businesses warn. Businesses have...

By the numbers: Lownds’ stellar season

Tooradin superstar Josh Lownds is having a dominant season for the Seagulls with both bat and ball. The ultra-reliable vice skipper has taken the charge...

Q&A with beekeeper Alice Lin

What inspired you to start beekeeping, and how long have you been doing it? I’ve only been learning beekeeping for a few months. Earlier this...