Neo-Nazi protesters gather outside Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium for Indian Prime Minister’s ‘rockstar’ speaking event – as 30,000 buy tickets
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia was met with far-right protests in Melbourne, as demonstrators gathered outside Marvel Stadium ahead of a large "Melbourne Meet Modi" speaking event. The visit is significant both for the strong diaspora turnout — around 30,000 people bought tickets to the sold-out function — and for the hostility of the anti-immigration protests accompanying it, highlighting tensions around migration in Australia.
Modi arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday night for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the third India-Australia Annual Leaders' Summit, where a deal was signed for Australia to sell uranium to India for peaceful purposes. On Thursday, protesters held signs reading "stop Indian invasion" and "Modi go home", and far-right activist Hugo Lennon — known online as "Auspill" and a key figure behind last year's "March for Australia" protests — was filmed heckling Modi with anti-migration abuse outside his hotel. Both Modi and Albanese were due to address the stadium event.
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