TV blamed for poor turnout

DAWSON MP George Christensen claims the low number of attendees at Reclaim Australia rallies in Townsville and Mackay was because of intimidation.

About 50 protesters were at Saturday’s rally in Townsville and about 200 in Mackay yesterday.

“I think some people might have shied away because of the scenes of violence on TV and the confronting images on the news,” Mr Christensen said.

Mackay- based Mr Christensen attended the Mackay rally at which placards called Islam “rotten”, claimed halal foods funded terrorism and said Islam represented child brides, terrorism and paedophiles.

The Coalition MP described the rally as peaceful, with only a few heated exchanges between opposing groups. There were about 40 members in the counter- rally group.

Mr Christensen said despite the low turnout “the majority of the community are against radical Islam”.

“If not, they’ve got a problem on their hands,” he said.

Despite earlier saying he would leave the event if there were any anti- Islam placards on display, Mr Christensen addressed the crowd to call for them not to surrender the Australian culture and lifestyle “to those who hate us for what we are and what we stand for”.

He said the threat of “Islamism” – which he described as a political system under which everything must fit under the laws of radical Islam – was a “threat that is within our midst”.

“The spread of repressive ideologies under our very noses right here in our own country has already begun,” he said.