Queensland MP George Christensen announces on Facebook he will attend Mackay rally to defend Australia against ‘the threat of radical Islam’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Coalition MP George Christensen has announced he will speak at the Reclaim Australia rally in Queensland on Sunday, saying he wants to defend Australia’s freedoms from “the threat of radical Islam”.

The controversial Nationals MP made the announcement on his Facebook page.

“I’ve made the decision to speak at the Mackay Reclaim Australia rally,” he wrote. “I want to support people who seek to defend our Australian way of life, our culture and our freedoms from the threat of radical Islam.

“I made the decision to speak after reviewing the Reclaim movement’s 24 principles. These principles include equality of law, equality of genders and freedom of speech, as well as supporting Australia’s right to exile or deport traitors.”

Christensen accused those who tried to shut down the rallies of being against freedom of speech.

“There are those who want to silence me and stop me from being at the rally,” he said. “The left-wing GetUp! website, communityrun, already has a petition on it trying to get the prime minister to stop me from attending this gathering of my local constituents.

“Hell will freeze over before I give in to such intimidation. However, it’s plain to see who wants to shut down free speech and the right to peaceful assembly and protest in this country.”

At the time of publication, the communityrun petition urging the prime minister, Tony Abbott, to stop Christensen from attending the rally had 93 signatures. It was created by a 16-year-old, Tom Rainsford, one of Christensen’s northern Queensland constituents.

The acting national director of GetUp!, Paul Oosting, said the organisation did not know about the petition until it was named by Christensen.

He said it was “very concerning” that a government MP was standing in support of “a movement that is openly fuelled by racism and bigotry”.

A group called United Against Bigotry and Racism is planning a series of counter-rallies at the weekend to match the Reclaim Australia rallies.

Organiser of the Perth event, Miranda Woods, told Guardian Australia that the Reclaim rallies reflect the “extraordinary climate of fear” that the community lives in, and the “level of vilification Muslims face”.

“These people are trying to fill our public spaces, not with freedom of speech, but with hate speech,” she said.

Labor’s acting spokesman on multicultural affairs, Richard Marles, said Christensen’s decision to attend was “extraordinary”.

“Reclaim Australia events are synonymous with racist behaviour,” he said. “Divisive and inflammatory actions from members of the government undermine efforts to build community harmony.

“It would be nice if all members of the Abbott government said more about promoting social inclusion more often, and meant it,” Marles said, echoing controversial comments by Abbott that Australian Muslims should do more to stamp out extremism.



The chief executive of the Arab Council of Australia, Randa Kattan, said Christensen is free to do as he pleases but he must consider the consequences of attending such a rally.

“This is not free speech,” she told Guardian Australia. “They drum up hate.”

Reclaim rallies across the country in March and April featured attendees wearing neo-Nazi regalia and waving anti-Islam banners. Police had to intervene after demonstrators clashed with attendees of counter-rallies.

Multicultural groups have denounced the rallies, saying they make refugees and new migrants feel unsafe in Australia, and do not represent Australia’s principles of tolerance and inclusion.

Christensen has criticised halal certification, saying it is a vehicle for funding terrorism, and has supported a public ban on women wearing facial coverings such as the burqa or niqab.