I Am An Indian Man: Booed & Shoved At March For Australia Anti-Immigrant Protest
- Staff Writer
- Sep 5
- 3 min read
In a scenario dripping with more irony than a vegan sausage at a Bunnings barbie, an Indian-origin man found himself in the midst of a viral video when he got up to speak at last weekend’s anti-immigration March For Australia protest.
Real estate business development manager Deboo Chatterjee got up to speak at the Brisbane March For Australia protest to speak against “mass migration”, but soon enough realised that the people at the march were actually protesting against people like him.
'Our Next Guest Is A Foreigner'
Chatterjee had all the right gear for the occasion - he wore a jersey in the national colours - green and gold - emblazoned with the word ‘Australia. The jersey lent the occasion more surreal flair than a rerun of Kath & Kim.
Things started to go south soon, though, with Chatterjee - an Australian citizen - being introduced to the crowd of protesters as the “foreigner”.
““Our next guest is a foreigner. He looks like a foreigner. And he said he wanted to speak," a man introduced Chatterjee.
Deb took the microphone, all ready to support the March For Australia protests - apparently oblivious to the fact that the organisers in their manifesto had specifically singled out and targeted Australia’s Indian community.
“Yes, I am a brown man. Yes, I am an immigrant from India. I came here for the right reasons. Immigration is about not taking but giving. Not demanding but respecting. But what I see happening today is not immigration…” Chatterjee declared from the podium, adding, “This is an open-door policy. Anyone can come in, claim a spot and demand that Australia change for them. They are not blending into our culture; they are not protecting our freedom. They are twisting it.”
His public speaking gig didn't last long. Chatterjee was greeted with cheers and some booing before a protester rushed to the stage, shoving him and snatching the mike, shouting, “Aussie Aussie Aussie, we’re sick of this bulls**t”.
The message was abundantly clear that even so-called “good immigrants” are not always welcome, no matter how Australian their jersey.
March For Australia: Viral Video
Chatterjee’s 15 seconds of fame sure got him attention with the video of him heckled and booed going viral on social media.
If the real estate agent wanted any more proof that blending in doesn’t appease those calling for migrants to be deported, he just had to go through some of the comments below his video.
“Why did they let that Indian talk?” said one, while another was clear: “we want them all to go home!” A third chimed in “We don't want a brown Australia”.
Other users held up the mirror to him. “Bro thinks he will get white validation by defaming immigrants,” said one user. Another said: “That’’ what you get when you betray your own people.”
Despite how the day turned out, Chatterjee insisted later that he was not attacked and he still supported the anti-immigration protests. "Mass migration won’t help the current residents nor the newcomers,” Chatterjee told Brief Chaat.
‘We Are All Immigrants’
The incident with Chatterjee unfolded against a backdrop of anti-immigration rallies in Australia on August 31, 2025, with tens of thousands gathering in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and regional towns.
Several politicians, including Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter, attended these events. The protests were appearances by far-right figures on stage and leading the rallies.
The Australian government roundly condemned the rallies, calling out their links to neo-Nazi groups and right-wing extremists.
All in all, Deb’s day was a punchline worthy of any backyard barbecue debate: nowhere is the line between “insider” and “outsider” squigglier than at a March for Australia protest.
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