Two brothers from Gaza living in Australia say a group of train passengers travelling after an anti-immigration rally shouted racial epithets and physically harassed them for wearing a Palestinian scarf.
Shamikh Badra, 39, and his brother Majed, 36, were on their way home from a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Sydney's centre on Sunday, that called for an end to the bloodshed in their homeland.
A group of four people hurled abuse at the men, telling them to "get the f**k out of Australia" among a raft of other obscenities, the Palestinian-Australian brothers say.
Video footage of the violent incident posted online and supplied to AAP showed shoving and loud shouting in the tirade.
A younger man tells the Badras to "f*** off" while an older man tells the brothers "We don't want you in our country" and "you love getting free money."
The incident came hours after anti-immigration rallies attended by thousands of protesters in capital cities across Australia on Sunday, several organised by or infiltrated by neo-Nazis.
"I was shocked with what's happening, thinking to myself 'Who are these people and why are they attacking us?" Shamikh Badra told AAP on Tuesday.
"We went to the rally to demand a stop to this genocide ... and when you find people racist like that, it causes depression and frustration."
The footage was horrific and frightening, Greens MP Sue Higginson said.
"It's happened because political leaders and the media have vilified people of colour, fed extreme right-wing ideologies and tolerated Nazi organised events," she said.
Mr Badra said he tried to defuse the melee several times in between chanting "Free Palestine", but the group followed them across carriages, prompting the Badras to get off at Macdonaldtown station, where they reported the incident to staff.
Mr Badra also reported the incident to police.
Investigations are continuing into the assault between Town Hall and Macdonaldtown station, NSW Police told AAP.
A train guard also reported the incident to security officials who contacted police.
A Sydney Trains spokesperson told AAP the rail operator was aware of the incident and will assist the police investigation.
"All our passengers deserve a safe and secure journey on the train," they said.
Palestine Action Group, which organised the demonstration the Badras attended on Sunday, said the brothers' alleged abusers were participants in the anti-migrant rally also held in the city centre.
That rally drew thousands and has been slammed by Premier Chris Minns for its incendiary rhetoric and the presence of neo-Nazi speakers.
Mr Badra, who's been in Australia for a decade, said he didn't believe the anti-migrant voices were representative of the majority's attitude to multiculturalism but he was still shaken and saddened by the incident.
"We do not accept racism ... we should respect other people's identities and here I am just attacked because of my Palestinian identity."
The attack has compounded feelings of dread and trauma after almost two years of watching their mother, sister and other relatives try to survive the war in Gaza.
The brothers have already lost their father and brother in the ongoing pummelling of the blockaded enclave.
"You feel helpless, you can't do anything to stop the starvation or rescue your family," he said.
Meanwhile, an Adelaide man was charged on Tuesday for displaying offensive material during the March For Australia anti-immigration protest in Adelaide on Sunday.
Political leaders on Monday condemned the display of a doctored image of alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman, accompanied by the words "free man" and a Southern Cross constellation at the Adelaide rally.
The man accused of holding the sign, aged 39 from Golden Grove, was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on October 28.
