Fear and Resilience in the Shadow of Anti-Immigration Protests

Australia is no stranger to immigration debates, but the recent 'March for Australia' rallies have brought a new intensity to the conversation. On 31 August 2025, tens of thousands gathered across the country to protest what they called 'mass immigration.' These rallies, condemned by the federal government and linked to far-right groups, initially targeted migrants.

The violent attack on Camp Sovereignty, an Indigenous peace camp in Melbourne, by members of the National Socialist Network was a disturbing act of aggression that underscores how deeply racism and xenophobia can penetrate public discourse. Members stormed the site, tore down Aboriginal flags, and assaulted First Nations people, leaving several injured.

At the heart of these protests lies a powerful and often overlooked force: fear. Fear of cultural change, economic instability, and perceived threats to national identity. But fear isn’t exclusive to those protesting immigration. Migrants, First Nations people, and minorities in Australia live with the fear of being targeted, excluded, or scapegoated. This shared emotional experience – though expressed in vastly different ways – reveals a common thread among all who call Australia home.

Fear is primal. Our brains evolved to respond to physical threats with fight-or-flight (or freeze or faint!) reactions. But today’s threats are often psychological – amplified by media narratives, doomscrolling, and misinformation. Algorithms feed us content that reinforces our existing beliefs, creating echo chambers that distort reality and deepen division. This phenomenon, known as truth bias, makes it harder to question what we see and hear, even when it's misleading. These modern stressors hijack our nervous systems, downregulating the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain responsible for reasoning, empathy, and problem-solving.

This neurological shift explains why fear-driven movements resist nuance and dialogue. When fear dominates, solutions become simplistic, and scapegoats become convenient. But there is a way forward: collective resilience.

Resilience is not just a trait—it’s a skill. It can be learned, practiced, and strengthened. Building resilience means developing the skills to support us to advance despite adversity. To develop the emotional regulation, self awareness, critical thinking, and empathy required to help us navigate both the daily challenges and the major events we all face as part of life. It means creating space for discomfort and complexity, rather than retreating into echo chambers and emotional reaction.

Importantly, the impact of these societal tensions doesn’t stop at the protest line – it follows us into the workplace. The events and experiences during weekends and time away from work can manifest as racism, harassment, and discrimination, creating environments and workplaces that can cause harm to workers. These are very real hazards that can affect mental health, productivity, and team cohesion. Now is the time that leaders must be proactive about their own mental wellbeing as well as that of their staff. Organisations have a duty to eliminate or control psychosocial hazards, not just for compliance, but for care.

This is no longer just a social issue – it’s a workplace one.

Educational institutions are also seeing the tensions having tangible impacts on their international students – who contribute much more to our communities than just financially through the billions of dollars to the economy. Students are reporting heightened fear, stress and anxiety that is exacerbated by their isolation and lack of adequate support. Safety, inclusion, and proactive support must be more than slogans – they must be lived values.

Australia’s diversity is its strength, but unity and inclusion requires more than tolerance – it demands courage and action. Courage to confront fear, to listen, and to grow. Action in supporting teams and individuals to be protected.

Fear may be universal, but so is the capacity to rise above it and I believe that developing collective resilience is a vital first step.