Australia Day protests live updates: Perth Invasion Day protest evacuated amid ‘explosion’ reports

NSW Police have now confirmed a 31-year-old man has been charged following his arrest this afternoon.

The man spoke at a protest in Moore Park earlier in the day where he allegedly said Jews were the “greatest threat” to Australia.

A spokesperson for NSW Police said the manb was arrested shortly afterwards on Bourke Street in Surry Hills.

He has been charged with publicly inciting hatred on ground of race causing fear.

He’s been refused bail and will face Bail Division Court 7 on Tuesday.

As an F-35 Lightning Air Force jet screamed over Sydney Harbour, where thousands had gathered to celebrate Australia Day on Monday, Apurva Jain looked up to the sky and cheered — for the new life she’s building.

Ms Jain, who lives in Western Sydney and was born in India, attended the harbour celebrations with her husband for the first time to help foster in her children, a 10-year-old daughter and a one-year-old girl, a love for their new country.

“If they connect with Australia emotionally, that’s a very good thing,” she said, while standing in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge wearing a green and gold-Australian themed top. “After all, they’re the future of Australia.”

At the same time as the Jain family were enjoying the best of Australia, thousands were mourning what they consider its worst.

A few kilometres away, members of one of the world’s oldest existing civilisations assembled at Hyde Park, Australia’s oldest post-colonial parkland.

​Read the full story here.​

A man has been arrested in NSW after he allegedly described Jews as the “greatest enemy” to Australia.

Footage from a rally held at Moore Park today has surfaced online in which a man says the Jewish lobby in Australia was behind the recent hate speech laws.

“The Jews are the greatest enemy to this nation, they always have been, they are an enemy to Western civilisation, and for thousands of years Christians and Anglos, the white man has known that the Jew is our greatest enemy,” he said.

NSW Police said a 31-year-old man had been arrested by police after the rally.

“About 2.50pm, police stopped a 31-year-old man on Bourke Street, Surry Hills, following allegedly offensive comments he made during a speech at a protest in Moore Park,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.

“The man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where inquiries are ongoing.”

At a press conference this afternoon, Operation Australia Day Commander, assistant commissioner Brett McFadden, said the alleged languag used incited hatred.

“We will allege that the language he used … incited response from the crowd, generating hate towards the community,” he said.

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Sydney’s CBD today for the Invasion Day protests.

The Nightly’s Chief Writer Aaron Patrick sent through this vision from the scene.

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The Invasion Day rally has kicked on through the streets of Perth’s CBD, with organisers electing to begin the march despite the interruption to proceedings.

Our reporter on the ground has confirmed that police are conducting a grid search of the area. The protesters have begun their planned march to Stirling Gardens.

Pictures below from The West Australian and 7NEWS show some of the choatic scenes.

​Read the full report from The West Australian here. ​

The Albanese Government has released a statement condemning the burning of the Australian flag.

Photographers captured the flag-burning at Queens Gardens in Brisbane earlier today.

Assistant minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, said the Australian Government “deplores the actions of those who desecrate the Australian National Flag.

“The overwhelming majority of Australians have no time for this divisive behaviour.

“The Australian National Flag, Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag should all be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as the nation’s most important national symbols.

“In certain circumstances, conduct associated with desecration of a flag may constitute an offence under state and territory criminal law, for example, public order or property damage offences.”

WA Police have released a statement confirming the situation in Perth’s CBD.

The statement reads:

“WA Police have confirmed there has been reports of a threat and a man is in custody

Significant police resources have been deployed to the area, and an exclusion zone has been established.

Members of the public are asked to stay away from the area and await further advice.

Police said the person in custody is assisting with their inquiries.”

Hundreds of demonstrators are being evacuated from Perth’s CBD amid concerns there could be an explosion after reports of an object being thrown into a crowded Forrest Place.

The West Australian reporter Jessica Evensen is on the scene and says police are using megaphones to urge people who had gathered for an Invasion Day rally, protesting against the celebration of Australia Day on January 26, to immediately disperse.

“There is something in the crowd that poses a risk to your safety,” the officers are saying.

They’re also telling the crowd “this is not a drill”.

We’ll bring you more on this breaking story as it unfolds.

Protester numbers are starting to swell in the Perth CBD as the planned Invasion Day and March for Australia rallies kick off.

The two are one street away from each other in the city centre.

We’ll bring you all the latest from the scene of both protests.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson received a thunderous welcome from the crowd at the Australia Marches rally in Brisbane.

Newswire reports the senator rejected climate change concerns, praised Australia’s mining and manufacturing sectors, and said she had spent her political career “calling this country back together”.

“I have taken so much pride in my country… all I’ve ever done my whole political life is call this country back together,” she said.

She warned against proposed hate speech laws, arguing they could be used to silence minor parties and restrict debate on immigration and multiculturalism.

“We can never give up our freedom of speech… I will not let them stop me. I will keep going,” she said.

Ms Hanson told supporters her role was to “fight for you” and accused other politicians of failing to represent everyday Australians.

Turning her fire on the Prime Minister, she blamed Mr Albanese for mass migration, and labelled him “the worst prime minister I have ever seen”.

She urged the crowd to back One Nation at the next federal election, saying she wanted more seats in parliament so she could “take it up to them”, scrutinise government spending, and push to revive manufacturing while winding back climate policies.

Ms Hanson ended her speech by calling for unity, telling supporters Australia belonged to everyone who chose it as home, provided they embraced Australian values.