Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What we witnessed recently in Melbourne and across Australia was disgraceful. These marches led by neo-Nazis and anti-immigration extremists were a shameful moment for our city and our nation. Like many in my electorate, I was sickened when black-clad agitators descended on Camp Sovereignty, a peaceful First Nations cultural and political gathering place created to honour Aboriginal resistance and survival. The irony is blunt. Australia's first people were expressing culture while thugs pretended to march for Australia, causing on the violence. This was not a protest; this was an attack. They were trying to split our community apart, shut down voices that deserve respect and bring back hurt for people who have already been through too much.

This is not the city I know. I know a Melbourne that is a city of welcome; a place where people from all backgrounds live side by side, learn from each other and share their stories; a place where neighbours help one another no matter where they come from or what language they speak. Even though what we have seen this last weekend has shocked us, we cannot let it define us. We can't let hate and division win. The answer to hate isn't more hate; it's unity. It's people standing side by side and saying racism, fascism and violence are not welcome here. We all must stand up to hate, raise our voices, stand together with our neighbours and show pride in who we are as a community. Showing strength in the face of bullying shows us a path forward where we stand together, speak with one voice and make it clear that hate will never win in Australia.

We know what happened on the weekend was shameful, but how we respond matters even more. The truth is that Australians stand up again and again to say: 'We will not accept racism. We will not let extremists take over our streets.' Saying no to hate matters, but what is more powerful is when we back up that 'no' with what we do in our daily lives. We must see it in our schools, we must see it in our workplaces and we must see it in our neighbourhoods. That is how we show unity not only in speeches here but in the choices we must make by living with respect and fairness. Hate is not welcome here.

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