RECLAIM AUSTRALIA is urging supporters to “keep the peace” at an Australia Day rally in Fremantle.

The nationalist group is peeved at Fremantle council’s cancelling of its Australia Day fireworks, and 312 members of its Facebook community have indicated they’ll attend; some promising to fly in from over east. Another 777 were “interested”.

Scheduled between 4pm and 7pm at the Esplanade reserve, the rally will include guest speaker John Bolton, a prominent RA spokesperson.

“Were we left alone to protest there would almost be no need for a police presence except perhaps traffic control,” posted an RA administrator on the event’s Facebook page, claiming opposing stirrers were responsible for any violence.

President of WA’s branch of the United Patriots Front, Dennis Huts, posted an online video claiming the council has tried to shut down the rally by demanding permits.

Mr Huts says they won’t be applying, convinced the council will simply knock them back.

“We don’t need a permit, mister mayor, we have a constitutional right to gather together in a place; it’s called the right to freedom of assembly,” Mr Huts says.

Agenda

Fremantle council’s arts manager Pete Stone says there’s been no approach from RA about the event.

Mr Huts says cancelling Australia Day activities wasn’t about being sensitive to the feelings of indigenous Australians, but was a broader left-wing agenda to tear down national institutions.

“They hate you and they want to change you,” Mr Huts said, referring to the council as communist “traitors”.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK