Those opposed to an Indigenous Voice in Parliament have turned out in the hundreds at non-campaign rallies across the country.
The main meeting in Sydney’s Hyde Park started at noon on Saturday, although there was a large crowd significantly smaller than the 10,000 people organizers had expected.
The crowd in Melbourne was slightly larger and some protesters carried fake news placards, the red flag and Eureka stockade flags that have been a fixture at many Covid ‘freedom’ protests.
In Adelaide, around 200 people gathered in the CBD, while in Brisbane the No protest was overshadowed by a much larger Yes23 gathering.
Controversial pro-Putin and anti-vaccine commentator Simeon Boikov, also known as the Australian Cossack, organized his own rallies on Saturday in support of the no vote.
Protesters against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament gathered in rallies across the country on Saturday (pictured)
In Sydney, demonstrators marched from Hyde Park into the city, although the turnout was smaller than expected
In Melbourne, the rally was larger and there was a flurry of red flag flags popular among ‘sovereign citizens’
The meeting in Melbourne also included a group dressed in army uniforms, holding up a banner reading ‘Voice = anti-white’
Boikov served three months in prison in 2022 for violating a suppression order when he spoke publicly about a then-pending lawsuit.
When he was released, he told an anti-vaxxer rally that he wanted more equality for Indigenous Australians.
“I want to appeal to all indigenous brothers in (prison). “It is a travesty that the prison population is made up of about 35 percent indigenous people, when they make up two percent, plus minus, of the population of Australia,” Boikov said.
He then criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a perceived lack of concern for Aboriginal people.
Boikov is accused of joining the anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown movements to raise his own profile and sow distrust of Western governments.
The official ‘No’ campaign has distanced itself from Boikov, with opposition leader Peter Dutton condemning the rallies and warning people not to confuse them with the official event.
The official meetings were held in the major metropolitan areas of Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, as well as Sydney, and regional locations including Casino and Yeppoon.
Key speakers included conservative politicians such as former United Australian Party member Craig Kelly – who has been a regular at anti-vaccination rallies – along with current UAP senator Ralph Babet and NSW Liberal Democrat John Ruddick.
Protesters held up signs urging people to vote no, with one man pictured holding a golliwog doll (right)
The protesters suggested that the Indigenous Voice to Parliament was divisive
Key speakers included conservative politicians such as former United Australian Party member Craig Kelly – who has been a regular at anti-vaccination rallies – along with current UAP senator Ralph Babet and NSW Liberal Democrat John Ruddick.
Indigenous elders held a smoking ceremony ahead of the Sydney meeting and also addressed the crowd
In Sydney, a smoking ceremony was followed by a traditional dancing ceremony to kick off the two-hour rally.
Prominent Indigenous figures Budjiti Elder, Uncle Bruce Shillingsworth Senior, and Ngunnawal Elder, Aunt Glenda Merritt, also spoke at the event.
It is one of the last major boosts for the No campaign, coming less than a month after the historic referendum that will determine whether to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
The rally is being called the ‘World Wide Rally For Freedom In Support Of No To the Voice’ and is described by organizers as a ‘wake-up call’ for the nation ahead of the Voice referendum.
One woman said she voted no because she didn’t trust the Voice
The scenes of the protests in Sydney and Melbourne (pictured) looked eerily similar to anti-vaxxer rallies held during Covid
One person brought a sign suggesting that Bill Gates should be arrested – a favorite sign among conspiracy theorists
The rally is being called the ‘World Wide Rally For Freedom In Support Of No To the Voice’ and is described by organizers as a ‘wake-up call’ for the nation ahead of the Voice referendum.
Across town, in the north of the city, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a stroll through the shops of West Ryde to promote the Yes Vote campaign.
During a visit to Sydney’s West Ryde Marketplace with Yes23 supporters on Saturday, the Prime Minister highlighted singer Kamahl’s change of heart that led him to back the vote.
The 88-year-old said his previous support for the ‘no’ case was uninformed and that he had changed his mind after speaking to Aboriginal lawyer and voting supporter Eddie Synot.
“We have a new term that we coined today: ‘Kamahlmentum,’” Mr. Albanese joked, describing the change of heart as courageous.
The Prime Minister said it was clear that while sufficient money had been spent on Indigenous affairs, it had not flowed to where it was needed.
‘With a vote comes responsibility. You get greater efficiency… you get more value when you consult people who are directly involved,” he told reporters.
In contrast, thousands of people turned out to support the ‘yes’ vote in Brisbane on Saturday.