A Report on a Rally On Behalf of Tommy Robinson That Took Place in Brisbane, Australia, on June 10

This is coming in a little late, but I hope will offer some insight into just how far awareness of the worrying state of affairs in Britain has spread.  The account that follows was written by a gentleman, personally known to me, who attended the rally in Brisbane, state capital of Queensland, Australia; similar rallies took place on the same day in Sydney and Melbourne.  Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, in that order, are Australia’s three largest cities.  

“Tommy Robinson Protest”.

“On Sunday June 10 2018, beginning at 9 am, a peaceful rally was held outside the British Consulate in Brisbane, to protest against the jailing of Tommy Robinson.  I believe that the rally was “peaceful” only because no Muslims nor their enablers turned up wearing face-masks, screaming abuse at the speakers and/ or physically attacking anyone participating in the rally.

“The crowd engaging in the protest was enthusiastic and well-behaved, breaking into periodic chants of the international Tommy Robinson war cry – “Hey, Tommy Robbie!  Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Robinson!”.

“The crowd of three hundred or so were all in good voice.  It was a varied and interesting crowd.  There were a lot of older folk but there were also a surprising number of young people, many with young children.  The Australian flag was everywhere, held aloft and waved proudly, along with a plethora of signs demanding Tommy Robinson’s release.

“There were also several signs expressing support for Sonia Kruger.  (For the benefit of international readers: Sonia Kruger is a telegenic young Australian TV personality.  Almost two years ago, she commented, on air, that maybe it would be a good idea to stop any further Muslim immigration into Australia.  People should feel safe, when they go outside to celebrate events like Australia Day.  Her comments can still be viewed online.  A serial Muslim complainer then lodged a complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales.  Two years later the issue has still not been resolved).

“There were two principal speakers at the rally.

“Avi Yemini has previously described himself as “a proud Ozraeli… Leftists hate me… Islamists want to kill me”.  Avi seemed to be loaded with springs, as he leaped around, never still, shouting into his microphone.  He wore a kippah on his head, and said the words that his audience were already thinking.  “A right to free speech is a fundamental democratic right”, he shouted, “And let’s not forget that it was Britain that gave the world the Magna Carta.  If we cannot speak, we are not free.”  He thanked all the people there, for attending on a cold winter morning.  (Aside: most northern hemisphere folks would not regard a Brisbane morning at 9 am on June 10 as cold; however… it’s what you’re used to that defines what you perceive as ‘cold’ ; it would have been colder still, by Aussie standards, in Melbourne and in Sydney on that particular morning. – CM).  He then spoke of the hundreds of thousands of people now attending protest rallies in Britain, but added, soberly – “I think it’s probably too late for Britain.  It’s not too late for Australia.  But you must keep coming to these rallies, and next time, bring a friend.  Large crowds are the only thing they’ll listen to.”

“I’ve been told I’m a Nazi”, he thundered, gesturing at the kippah on the top of his head. “So I’m a Jewish Nazi. Explain that!”

‘The crowd loved it.

“In contrast, Debbie Robinson, from the Australian Liberty Alliance, appeared more restrained.  She spoke quietly and persuasively in favour of Tommy Robinson and the right to free speech generally.

“The Australian Liberty Alliance and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation were both well represented at the rally, as were other Conservative groups.

“It did seem to me that holding the rally at 9 on a Sunday morning could have prevented many practising Christians, people who would otherwise have liked to attend, from coming along.  This feeling was confirmed when I later spoke to a young man that I knew from a local conservative organistion.  Whenever I see him, he always seems to have his wife with him.  This morning, he was alone. “Where’s your wife?” I asked him. “Oh, she couldn’t come”, was the reply, “She’s working with the children at church this morning”. 

One might add that most churches have a roster for these sorts of tasks and it is normally fixed a month or so ahead of time; if, therefore, a ‘snap rally’ is suddenly called, a person who has a ‘timetable clash’ may not, in good conscience, be able to ‘skive off’ their already fixed obligation at short notice, no matter how noble the cause.  Early on a Sunday afternoon – say, beginning any time between 1 and 3 pm – would be a better time-slot for a rally, if there is a reasonable probability that practising Christians may form a high percentage of the likely attendees. I would also add that in Australia public transport in any of our cities in the early hours of a Sunday is generally rather patchy, especially for persons wanting to come in from outer suburbs or nearby regional areas; again, one hopes organisers of future rallies will take that sort of thing into account, as well; not everybody has a car nor can afford the cost of several hours of inner-city parking.  It is in fact remarkable that a rally organised at very short notice, at a time on a Sunday morning when public transport is somewhat unreliable and most churches are holding their main service of the day, nevertheless mustered as many people as it did. – CM

“So, that was the rally for Tommy, in beautiful downtown Brisbane, on a crisp winter morning.  I do hope Avi is wrong about the bleak future that Britain is facing.  

“But I also hope that he is right, that there will be many more rallies around the country, supporting Tommy Robinson, and that the numbers of attendees will grow.

“Concern for the safety of Tommy Robinson has become well and truly international.

“Britain, take note!”