CONTROVERSIAL politician Pauline Hanson has called halal certification in Australia a “profit, money-making racket” and said it is “connected to Islamic organisations ... such as the Muslim Brotherhood”.

In an interview with Today with co-host Deb Knight, the One Nation party leader said it was wrong for Prime Minister Tony Abbott to say “Australians don’t have an issue with [halal]”.

“I’m sorry, prime minister, a lot of Australians have an issue with paying a tax for halal certification when 98 per cent of Australians are not Muslim,” Ms Hanson said.

She said that businesses that refuse to halal certify their products “have extortion put on them”, and that Australians should not be paying “extra” for basic products.

media_camera Dissent ... Pauline Hanson speaks at the Reclaim Australia rally in King George square, Brisbane. Picture: Jamie Hanson

The interview comes the morning after nationwide protests for and anti-Islam erupted across Australia, in some cities leading to violent clashes.

The protests were a stand-off between supporters of Reclaim Australia, an anti-Islamic movement and No Room for Racism, a coalition of community, trade union and left-wing political groups, including the Socialist Alliance.

Ms Hanson was a speaker at the Brisbane rally, where many protesters carried signs denouncing sharia law and halal certification for Australian products, The Australian reported.

When asked by presenter Ms Knight how she could single out “a religion like Islam”, Mr Hanson replied: “Let’s get this quite clear- Islam is not a religion — sorry, Islam is not a race, so therefore, we’re not talking about racism here whatsoever.

“People who oppose us are calling it racism. It’s not — as I said, criticism is not racism, we have a right [to an] an opinion, and we don’t like Islam, and what Islam may do to our country, our culture and our way of life.”

During the Brisbane rally, police held back counter-protesters, who were chanting: “Go home bigots, go home”.

media_camera Opposing views ... ‘Reclaim Australia’ rally being held in West Perth, with the opposing Pro multiculturalism protesters waiting nearby. Picture: Supplied

In Melbourne, hundreds of police formed barricades to separate protesters at the CBD’s Federation Square, as thousands of protesters turned out for both sides, with the event quickly deteriorating into violence.

Protesters using loud speakers on both sides used foul language to stir up their supporters as shocked families and shoppers looked on.

Pushing and shoving broke out with several punches thrown, with police eventually arresting two men and one woman, all since released pending summons.

media_camera Divided ... Police try to keep protesters safe in Melbourne, where anti-racist campaigners confront the newly formed anti-Muslim group 'Reclaim Australia' at Federation Square. Picture: David Crosling

In Sydney, protesters aide their way to martin Place, near the site of the deadly siege where a lone gunman claiming inspiration from Islamic State took customers and staff hostages, eventually resulting in three dead.

Another politician, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, also spoke out about the rallies, telling Nine Network on Sunday that it was “one thing to have freedom of speech but it’s another thing when protests turn violent”.

“You see rival groups saying they have a right to speak ... but once it goes to violence, no one has the right to violence and protesting should never be violent,” he said.

media_camera Protesting ... 'Reclaim Australia' protesters gather in the rain at Martin Place, Sydney. 'Reclaim Australia' grassroots rallies are being held across Australia to protest the alleged 'Islamisation' of Australia. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams

Mr Shorten also said any suggestion that Muslims were planning to bring Sharia law to Australia was exaggerated.

“It was 50-60 years ago people said that the Irish Catholics or the Catholics were trying to take over the joint — and that wasn’t true either,” he said.

Two men and a women were arrested in Melbourne and are expected to be charged on summons.

One man was charged with assault in Hobart and another was charged with public nuisance in Brisbane.

Originally published as Hanson: halal a ‘money-making racket’