The Put Australia First rallies will go ahead across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this weekend, with organisers working to steady the message after the withdrawal of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and renewed scrutiny over the involvement of British activist Tommy Robinson.
Price confirmed on 9 November that she would no longer appear at the Sydney event, telling the ABC, “After learning more about the other speakers, particularly Tommy Robinson, I have decided I will not be attending. His views and actions do not align with mine.” Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will now dial in by video link from the United Kingdom rather than attend in person.
The rallies are being led by Monica Smit, who rose to prominence during the 2020 lockdowns through her group Reignite Democracy Australia. Smit has positioned the events as a platform for Australians worried about migration levels and the rising cost of living, themes she has pursued in both online campaigns and previous protest actions.
Speaking on 2GB this morning, Smit pushed back at claims the rallies are drifting towards extremism. “We’ve had our speaker list… plenty of up-and-coming speakers who walked away [due to media pressure], but we’re trying to look after Australia first,” she said. She added that security volunteers had removed fifteen infiltrators from earlier rallies and maintained that the gatherings were intended to be family-friendly.
Broadcaster Ben Fordham expressed support for the events while warning that public concern should not be mischaracterised. “When we had the freedom from enforced digital ID… we didn’t sign up for a neo-Nazi rally,” he told listeners. “I hope you very much [get] heard.”
The program now features former Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton, constitutional law professor Augusto Zimmermann, and a handful of online personalities with conservative audiences. While several speakers have stepped back in recent weeks, organisers say registrations continue to rise, with a third march in Brisbane added to the schedule on Saturday.
Smit’s earlier activism centred on lockdown mandates and government transparency, drawing a substantial online following during the pandemic. Her critics argue that the movement has since broadened into a vehicle for nationalist and anti-government sentiment, while supporters say it reflects frustration at rising migration levels and pressure on housing and services.
The rallies are expected to draw a varied mix of attendees, from long-time Smit supporters to voters who have shifted their political allegiances over the past year as concerns about population growth dominate public debate.
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