Straight Lives Matter rally in Sydney outnumbered by police, same sex marriage advocates as leader blames ‘violence’

Australia’s first Straight Lives Matter rally, organised by The Party for Freedom, was held as a protest against the potential legalisation of same-sex marriage and instead found itself vastly outnumbered by counter-protesters and police tasked with making sure there were no clashes.

The Party for Freedom, a far-right group and one of the chief organisers of the Cronulla riots anniversary rally in 2015, held the protest on Sydney’s Oxford Street on Saturday.

Anti same-sex marriage supporters seen at "Straight Lives Matter" rally today. Picture: Danny CaseySource:AAP

While only 33 people had said they were attending on the group’s Facebook event page, NSW Police confirmed to news.com.au there were less than 15 people who turned up for the “straight lives matter” side.

Speaking to news.com.au, Nick Folkes, the head of Party for Freedom, disputed the police count of 15 people, saying there were over 30 people from his party.

Despite that, he still said the number was “disappointing”.

“It was disappointing to see we weren’t well supported on the day. The pro-marriage supporters can get thousands on the street and we can barely get any. We’re the silent majority which is a real shame,” he said.

Mr Folkes said the number dispute came down to cameras being at the front of the stage.

“There was definitely 30. People didn’t stand there because we’d block the cameras,” he said.

Mr Folkes, who said the rally went “really well”, blamed the poor turnout on a combination of supporters fearing violence and on right-wing supporters tending to be less vocal than “lefties”.

“We don’t have a history of our side of politics being very vocal. The left wing are very vocal. There’s a big fear of violence among our supporters which I think is why we were so poorly supported today,” he said.

“We were definitely worried about left wing people attacking us. People didn’t turn up because of possible violence ... There has been violence coming from the no side but overall the intimidation, name calling, violence — it has all come from the yes camp,” he added.

In a statement to news.com.au, NSW Police said the protest there were “no issues at all”.

Nick Folkes (middle) stands with supporters. Picture: Danny CaseySource:AAP

More than 50 same-sex marriage advocates stood on the opposite side of Sydney’s Green Park — drowning out all of the speeches with chanting and horns.

At one point, an anti-fascist group was heard yelling “Nazis, f**k off”.

And despite the “straight lives matter” camp struggle to deliver their speeches, Mr Folkes said they were unphased by the volume of the same-sex marriage advocates.

“It wasn’t frustrating, it was to be expected honestly. We just turned the volume up and honestly we’ve grown used to it. It’s just a bit of background noise,” he said.

“I like the banter, I like having a bit of counter action there. I see it as democracy in motion, it’s a positive thing,” he added.

Facebook users have since taken to the rally’s event page to slam the poor turnout, with one labelling it as “sad and pathetic”.

“We did count 50+ police however they clearly weren’t needed as no one really cared to listen to your hateful messages,” Edwin Diaz wrote.

Twitter has also blown up over the protest.

The rally’s location was a particular controversial one — held in Sydney’s Green Park which also contains an LGBT holocaust memorial.

Mr Folkes said they had wanted to originally hold the rally on Oxford Street, Sydney’s gay epicentre, but eventually chose Green Park after they were “threatened” by City of Sydney council.

“The council said if we wanted to have it on Oxford Street we’d be slapped with a huge audit and they’d make it super expensive, so we chose the park instead,” he said.

He also said he saw no problem with the location, admitting he didn’t know there was an LGBT memorial in the park.

“We’re acting within the boundaries of law. I do believe we’ve got a right to be there, just as gay people have a right to be anywhere in support of their cause,” he said.

Despite the rally’s poor turnout, Mr Folkes is still positive the no vote will triumph.

“We’ll still be out and about handing out our flyers and putting up posters. I believe the no case will win despite the very vocal supporters for the yes campaign. If it does lose, I think the consequences that will follow will be devastating to Australia,” he said.

Mr Folkes said they were also looking at staging a counter-protest if same-sex marriage advocates take to the streets again.

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of rainbow-clad supporters of same-sex marriage rallied in Sydney and the rest of the country saw similar numbers.

Sydneysiders rally for same-sex marriage. Picture: Daniel De CarteretSource:AFP

On Thursday, while walking down a Hobart street, Tony Abbott was headbutted by a man who said he had “wanted to shake his hand”.

Abbott was quick to call the incident politically motivated.

“I think it’s sad that this debate has come to that and my plea to everyone in the remaining weeks of this debate is to keep it courteous, keep is it respectful, but above all else, respect the values, the institutions that have shaped us since the beginning of our journey and which I think should continue to shape us as we move forward as one cohesive country,” he said.

The man who headbutted Abbott, later revealed to be Astro Labe, a 38-year-old DJ from Hobart, has since said the violence had nothing to do with same-sex marriage.

He said he had not intended to cause embarrassment to the same sex marriage cause, which he supports.

“It was nothing really remotely to do with that. It’s just about Tony Abbott — The f***ing worm that he is,” Labe told News Corp Australia.

“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c***.”