Racism marches on as Albanese sends the wrong message

The Albanese Government’s weak response to neo-Nazi marches risks legitimising racism and deepening fear in our communities, writes Amitava Das.

I WAS AT a burger place in Rowville with my family. A group of shaven-headed White men came in, most with beards, all looking angry. I told my wife that they looked like neo-Nazis. It was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

But almost a year later, I’m certain that my throwaway observation was likely correct.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. It probably never did. Doesn’t matter if you contribute to the country. Doesn’t matter if you’re a good neighbour. Doesn’t matter if you pay your taxes. Doesn’t matter if you positively contribute to sectors that are critical for society to function — health, education, social work and aged care. The message from the marchers last weekend was clear: None of this matters.

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All that matters is the colour of your skin. And if you’re Brown, then too bad. Try as much as you want, but you’ll never belong. Doesn’t matter what you do; we want you gone.

Former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, notwithstanding his stunning failure at this year’s Election, must be smiling. After all, he made racism mainstream again. Maybe he can trademark the acronym (“MARA”) next time he seeks higher office. Whilst Senator Pauline Hanson may have made racism her central platform for longer, Dutton made it mainstream.

And the rabid racists have gleefully taken the baton with gusto. The racists know that it doesn’t take a majority to make an impact. They know that all they need to do is march, yell and shape their mistruths as fact. Say something loud enough and, often enough, people may start to believe it.

I’m not an especially brave man, but I’ve never felt fear like this. For myself, for my children, for all the people who happen not to be White. When I take my dog for a walk, I now second-guess every interaction. When I pass someone, do they smile, but want me and my type gone? Do they want to inflict violence upon me or my family? Do these racist nutcases actually live near me?

I’ve always been told that I have a massive chip on my shoulder, quick to take offence whenever race is a potential issue. I’ve been told that just because someone is rude to me, it doesn’t mean that they’re racist. Just because they give me a look (Brown people will be familiar with the “look”), it doesn’t mean that they wish to do me harm.

But maybe I was right all along.

Maybe that guy down the street who waves at people as he drives by but pointedly ignores me is not just a jerk, but a racist one. Maybe that dude with the hotted-up RAM ute and a Southern Cross sticker on the back window is not just a man-child MAGA wannabe, but a bona fide neo-Nazi. The trap is believing that everyone is a hate-filled maniac. After all, it was only 6,000 that marched, not 2 million. But it can’t be just the 6,000 that have these racist sympathies. And that’s something that should concern all of us.

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I’ve grown up here; was born here, in fact. As a child and teenager, I used to often be that little Indian boy in the corner, hiding as much as possible, being utterly silent, to avoid drawing attention to the colour of my skin. As an adult, I always thought that I was wrong to behave that way.

But now, I wonder if my immature brain actually taught me the correct way to protect myself in a group of people, many of whom don’t want me here. Maybe for us Brown people, the strategy my little self used is the correct one. Hide, keep out of the way, don’t draw attention to yourself and maybe the racists will find another target. Keep your mouth shut. Just be grateful to be here. And hope that the racists don’t win.

The biggest disappointment of this past week has been Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s response. Whilst he and many leaders denounced the marchers, he noted that there were “good people” protesting who may have had reasonable concerns about immigration.

Perhaps, but one would think that a seasoned political leader would have the sense not to associate “good people” with a neo-Nazi rally. Whilst he may have been criticised for this 6 January style/Trumpist comment (including from within his own party), in a social media world fuelled by short sound-bites, he gave the marchers justification for their actions.

As a person on the other side, I can’t see any evidence of “good people” at the march. As the sidelined MP Ed Husic correctly said, there are no “good fascists”.

To me, it’s very simple. If you’re marching with them, then you’re with them. Tacitly or overtly endorsing their views. Just like former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has been tarnished by his recent photo shoot with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, those present at the marches will forever be labelled as racists. To me, justifiably so.

If you marched last week, then you’re a racist. Shame on you. Shame on Sewell. And shame on our Prime Minister. People don’t care about context; they care about the sound bite. And all they care about is that you said there were good people there.

And by doing so, you’ve said that amongst the violent neo-Nazis, there were good people. You’ve abandoned us and legitimised them. You’ve proved that my fear is not unfounded. I thought you were better than this.

Amitava Das is a freelance writer based in Melbourne. His writing focuses on diversity, inclusion, and issues affecting immigrants and people of colour.