An Australian Anti-Immigration Group Crashed a Church Service Dressed as Muslims

An anti-immigration group called Party For Freedom has staged a protest inside of a church in an attempt to, as its motto says, "Make Australia Great Again." Yes, that's a nod to Donald Trump.

Members of the party, which has offered its solidarity to the Republican Presidential candidate by way of "TRUMP Patriots BBQs," barged into the Gosford Anglican Church on New South Wales' central coast during a service on Sunday, August 14. Wearing niqabs and taqiyahs in an attempt to impersonate Muslims, they played Islamic prayers over the loudspeaker.

Father Rod Bower, the priest running the service, was appalled by the interruption, which he says frightened children in the congregation. He began recording the group, and identified them as Pauline Hanson supporters on Twitter.

— Fr Rod Bower (@FrBower)August 14, 2016

Father Rob has been outspoken in his stance against Islamophobia, and the abuse of refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. A few days before the stunt took place, the sign outside Gosford Anglican Church read, "Hell Exists and It's on Nauru."

Party for Freedom deliberately targeted the church, which has garnered a strong social following for the pro-immigration messages its outdoor sign often displays. This isn't the first time they have attacked Father Rob, labelling him "Fatherless Rob." The group says its actions were "in protest against [Father Rob] and his congregation for supporting Islam and multiculturalism."

The Party For Freedom have been staging sensationalist anti-Islam protests for a number of years. In 2012, members of the party stormed through the Sydney wearing makeshift niqabs—though they were calling to ban the burqa; a different garment. Currently, they sell t-shirts that read "RAPEFUGEES Not Welcome, Stay Away!"

The group's official policies call for "the abolition of state sponsored multiculturalism," and request Australia "change name of Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Department of Immigration and Assimilation." It also wishes to see the Human Rights Commission abolished and Australia withdraw from UN Protocol on Refugees.

The Party For Freedom directs equal vitriol to both major parties, accusing both Liberal and Labor of treason. It's only apparent political allegiance is to One Nation, linking itself to Pauline Hanson's influential party.