Police in the Australian city of Melbourne have deployed pepper spray and baton rounds following “violent clashes” between protesters rallying against immigration and counter-demonstrators, according to local media.

The violence on Sunday took place as thousands of people rallied across major cities in Australia, including Sydney, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane, to demand an end to what they called “mass immigration”.

The Australian government has condemned the rallies, which took place under the banner of “March for Australia”, as racist, while Minister of Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly said the gatherings were “organised by Nazis”.

About 5,000 protesters, some draped in the Australian flag, and counter-protesters turned up in Melbourne, the SBS Network reported, citing the police.

The

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