Australians protest against Abbott administration

Australians have poured onto the streets of major cities across the country to protest against policies of the federal government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The so-called March-in-March protests began Saturday and continued on Sunday in major cities across the country, including Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Demonstrators voiced anger against a wide range of federal policies, such as indigenous rights, mistreatment of migrant asylum seekers and the tax system in the country.

Other issues of concern to the Australian protesters are government policies on climate change and media ownership.

Organizers of the nationwide protests say the anti-government demonstrations are part of a grassroots movement that has nothing to do with political parties.

According to local press reports, while Abbott ignored the protests when asked about it in a news conference, opposition leader Bill Shorten of the Labor Party also distanced himself from the protests, telling reporters that his party is not formally involved in the effort.

“But I do get that people want to express their views. It’s a free country,” Shorten stated.

The weekend demonstrations are expected to end on Monday, when protest organizers plan to deliver a statement of no-confidence in the Abbott administration to the Parliament House in Canberra.