I grappled with whether to go: being on crutches the last few weeks, physically it may not be the smartest idea. As a Christian, I want to put Jesus first and that often means prioritising church on Sunday. At times, it also means avoiding political points or positions… the last thing I want to do is stain the name of Jesus…
But it all worked out and I thought it was the right thing, so we set off. Leaving at 9:45… a 40 minute drive then about an hour on the train:
The first thing of note was a group of police making a bee-line for myself and the children as we got off the train. We had watched 150+ people walk past them, yet us with our Australian flags? They wanted to search us for weapons…
No dramas: we were polite and had nothing to hide so they were fine, albeit misguided. (It is the ideological leftists, the manipulated and even paid protestors who are violent – *everybody* on the ground knows this. Don’t let deliberate twists on socials dupe you).
Once we arrived at the event, the crowd included a wide range of people from a wide variety of backgrounds – but all with a common love for Australia. It continued to grow for nearly an hour.
It was like a big family gathering – people offering umbrellas, people dancing, people commenting on the kids clothes, encouraging the kids to pat their dogs, chatting & laughing. I even got to share Jesus with someone as they shared about their addicted son.
The opening speaker started: “we want to acknowledge…” but then gave honour to God, to the Christian heritage of our great land – the reason we have thrived.
Then we set of marching (well I was hoping!) through hate streets of Perth.
People yelling ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi’ as the thousands strong crowd approached bus loads of tourists: but only jovial happiness & friendly smiles & exchanges.
The marchers were all law abiding, polite and kind / interactional with everyone – including the police.
I must have heard 10 times at least “you’re doing well mate’ as I hobbled on crutches along the march – people encouraging each other on – the true Aussie Spirit.
Friendly, polite, caring.
I honestly felt that if *anyone* had needed help, regardless of creed or heritage, everyone in this group would have rushed to help. And to prove my point, a lone racist yelled something and was instantly shut down by others nearby and sent on his way… (possibly a plant by Channel 7 / 9? They had reporters & cameras there, but didn’t seem like they did any recording.) There is NO ROOM for racism in this crowd – they themselves are a mix!
The speeches were a clear assertion that the groups represented are *not* against immigration and are definitely not racist. They are concerned citizens, previous soldiers, patriots who have served, sacrificed and built our nation and want the same freedoms and opportunities for their children and all Australians.
They know that the system is being stacked against them, that unsustainable levels of immigration are pushing housing prices up, overflowing hospitals, straining the prison system, raising violent crime rates and weakening our ability to help others. Underlying it all is the blatant (and what should be illegal) push to purchase votes by offering and easy ticket to vulnerable people who do not hold to Australian ideals.
Despite the rain & wind, it was a memorable day and a great way to showing the kids first hand that the narrative is often false. I firmly believe that people who supported unfettered immigration and rampart socialism are deceived and will eventually regret their position. The question is, by that time, will it be too late?