A senior Coalition frontbencher has warned fellow no voters against attending anti-voice rallies promoted by a pro-Kremlin activist, arguing the events are a “shameless” attempt to push “wacky and extreme causes”.
Simeon Boikov, who uses the online persona “the Aussie Cossack”, is among those promoting “no to the voice” rallies around Australia this Saturday, including a major rally in Sydney featuring federal senator Ralph Babet and former MP Craig Kelly.
The shadow minister for home affairs, James Paterson, who opposes the voice, distanced himself from the planned rallies and urged people to avoid being drawn into causes such as supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Cabinet minister Jason Clare also was critical of the events being “organised inside the Russian consulate”, a reference to Boikov who has been living in the Russian consulate in Sydney since late last year, seeking refuge after police sought him in connection with the alleged assault of a man at a pro-Ukraine rally.
Boikov was a prominent figure in last year’s anti-vaccine mandate convoy to Canberra, part of a contingent of live-streamers who broadcast for hours from protests. Boikov was invited into Kelly’s office as part of a “delegation” of protesters. Kelly was also billed as a special guest for the 2021 “Freedom Ball” promoted by Boikov.
The rallies are being promoted in online groups which previously focused on anti-vaccine, anti-lockdown and Covid scepticism sentiment. Many such groups have pivoted to focus criticism on the voice referendum.
Original promotional posters for the rallies, being held in major cities across the country, mentioned a series of other issues – including opposing the Albanese government, Nato, Aukus, 5G and “smart cities” – but the material was later amended to focus solely on the voice.
Sydney’s event features the most prominent speakers, including United Australia party members Babet and Kelly, NSW state MPs Tania Mihailuk and John Ruddick, and the former Liberal MP Ross Cameron.
Paterson told Guardian Australia the rallies were “a shameless and obvious attempt from someone with an ulterior motive to piggyback off a popular cause”.
“Anyone speaking at or attending the rally should be aware it has zero support from the no campaign, and is really an effort to recruit people for an agenda with no public support – namely Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Paterson said on Wednesday.
“Unless you want your participation to be claimed as an endorsement for wacky and extreme causes you don’t support, there are much better and more constructive outlets for genuine no supporters.”
Kelly, the former leader of the United Australia party who was defeated at the last election, spoke at an event on Wednesday night in Sydney, urging supporters to “bring as many friends as you can” to the no rally planned for Saturday.
All political speakers, as well as the UAP founder and businessman Clive Palmer, were contacted for comment.
The speakers’ list also includes Bruce Shillingsworth senior and Glenda Merritt, who are both associated with sovereign citizen movements.
Shillingsworth’s son, Bruce, was one of two men found guilty in September for his role aiding and abetting arson after the doors of Old Parliament House were set alight in December 2021.
While the loosely formed group is also advocating for Australians to vote no, it is not officially aligned with either the official conservative campaign, Fair Australia, or with the progressive no camp.
Guardian Australia has contacted Fair Australia and its spokesperson senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price for comment.
A Fair Australia spokesperson told the Nine newspapers that Saturday’s events were “not supported, endorsed or funded by us in any way”.
When asked on Wednesday whether he would urge people not to attend, Peter Dutton said he believed it was “an abomination that people would be inspired by Vladimir Putin to start with”.
The opposition leader then pivoted to claim that the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, had “created a dynamic in Australia at the moment, pitching one Australian against the other”.
“I think it’s appalling that people would gather to call other Australians names and to threaten people as they did,” Dutton said, referring to protesters outside a no campaign event in Adelaide on Monday.
Education minister Clare said: “On the yes side, you’ve got a genuine Aussie hero in Cathy Freeman, and on the no side, you’ve got rallies being organised inside the Russian consulate. That tells you everything you need to know.”
Tens of thousands of Australians rallied around the country in favour of the voice last weekend in the biggest show of support yet by the Yes23 campaign.
Albanese on Wednesday urged supporters to stay focused on promoting a “positive message” about the “fair go”.
“We have gone 122 years without recognising the first Australians in our nation’s founding document,” the prime minister said in Newcastle. “We are diminished by that.”
