Thousands of people are turning out around Australia for Palm Sunday marches to welcome refugees.
Here are photos and reports from the rallies around the country including Wollongong, Melbourne, Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney and Armidale.
Perth
Photos by Marziya Mohammedali
Wollongong
About 250 people rallied at North Beach in Wollongong on Palm Sunday. The rally was addressed by NSW Greens MLC Mehreen Faruqi, two former Afghan asylum seekers Arif Khan and Ali, child and adolescent psychiatrist Habib Behi, and Refugee Action Collective Illawarra spokesperson Cath Blakey.
Photos by Ella Pusell and Cristina Sacco
Melbourne
An estimated 12,000 people came out to the Palm Sunday rally, endorsed by 115 groups.
Photos by Ali Bakhtiarvandi
Darwin
Some 200 people turned out to the Palm Sunday rally in Darwin.
Photos by Peter Robson
Adelaide
Around 300 people attended a rally for refugees in Adelaide despite the initial organisers trying to cancel the rally two days before. Refugee supporters, including members the Socialist Alliance reorganised the action at short notice. There was a lot of interest from the mainstream media and in setting up a Refugee Action Collective.
Photos by Fernando M. Gonçalves
Photos by Andrew Hall
Sydney
Some 5000 people took the streets in rainy weather in support of refugees at the Sydney Palm Sunday rally. There were a diversity of people, including from children with hand-made sign, religious organisations, unions and community groups.
Photos Zebedee Parkes
Armidale
Some 180 people took part in the Armidale rally, including founding members of Armidale Rural Australians for Refugees and many attending a refugee rights' event for the first time.
Speakers included nurse and midwife Maxine Ross, long-time refugee advocate Debra O'Brien, high-school student Claudia Teece, Armidale Dumaresq Mayor Herman Beyersdorf and Imi Bokor who came to Australia as a refugee.
Two high school students performed theatre of the absurd which was not only apt but also very powerful. The event finished with songs from the Firebirds community choir.
Photos by Blea Bleile
