Australian Army soldier calls for a protest on the Harbour Bridge to oppose mass immigration and highlight rising homelessness
Sam Bamford, from Adelaide, joined the Australian Defence Force straight out of school in 2009 and served his country on a six-month tour in Afghanistan in 2012.
Mr Bamford's tour was marked by a 'green on blue' attack in August of that year, whereby Afghan soldiers turned on their NATO allies, killing three of his fellow Australian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter, while another nine were injured.
Two Australian Defence Force soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash on the same day.
Now he has accused the government of prioritising foreign aid and mass immigration over the needs of struggling Australians.
Drawing comparisons to last weekend's pro-Palestinian protest that blocked the iconic bridge, Bamford floated the idea of organising a similar 'freedom rally' to highlight what he claims is a national crisis being ignored.
'What if I organised a rally to speak out against the mass unchecked immigration, to shine a light on 122,000 Aussies that are currently homeless, with another 10,000 added every single month, he said.
'To ask why we're ignoring our own people while the government sends $5billion worth of foreign aid every single year.
'We're funding programs overseas, whilst Aussies sleep in tents, while veterans go without and whilst Aussie families choose between food and rent.'
Mr Bamford questioned why protests about overseas conflicts are applauded, while those focused on domestic issues like homelessness, housing, or veteran welfare are often ignored or attacked.
'Imagine I called it the Freedom Rally for Australia, and I decide to march over and shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I block traffic, I shut down emergency service routes, frontline services get delayed, and so on.
'Do you think the general population would celebrate that? Do you think the media would cheer it on? Would I have celebrities stand by my side, or would it be shut down, smeared and labelled before I even got there?
Bamford didn't stop at domestic issues.
He also turned his attention to what he describes as the ignored horror of global child trafficking, claiming that five million children are trafficked each year into sex slavery, war zones, and forced labour.
'I'm not blind to what's happening overseas,' he said. 'What's happening over there is horrific, and it needs to stop.
'But I'm also not naive to what happens globally. Did you know that 5 million children are trafficked every single year into sex ring and slavery and child soldier camps?
'That's not a conspiracy theory. I've spoken to people who rescue those kids. I've done podcasts with them. These people work 24/7, they're constantly on the move, and they're working conditions that most people couldn't even stomach - so where's the Harbour Bridge protest for them?
'Where's the outrage for that.
'Because when it's a trendy cause, it'll shut down the Harbour Bridge.
'But when it's about issues in our own backyard or shutting down the child trafficking world, it's crickets, nothing.'
Aware that his comments might spark backlash, Bamford makes it clear he isn't concerned about being labelled.
'Before you call me a Zionist or a bigot or whatever makes you feel good, I'm only here pointing out that we should be fixing Australian issues first - the issues in our own backyard,' he said.
Thousands of people have since commented on the idea, with most showing support for Bamford's stance.
'Come on Aussies, let's take Australia back and look after our own backyard,' said one user.
'Australian people need [to] stand together and forget the petty BS for one day and start being mates again,' said another.
'It really grinds my gears… our government should be helping Aussies first… we are in crisis here,' another wrote.
One commenter said something needed to be done for future generations.
'They can't afford houses or food and too many [are] homeless — something has to be done,' they said.
'The government has to listen to us.'
Another user, who works at a charity supporting at-risk youth, said they wished more people would direct their energy toward helping vulnerable Australian children.
'We all agree what's happening overseas is disgusting and awful - but there is only so much Australia can do for international conflicts,' they said.
'Where's the same level of sympathy for kids living in awful circumstances in Australia?'
Some users supported the idea of a protest rally on August 31, with many saying they would attend if it went ahead.
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