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Darwin City Council has denied March for Jesus (M4J) permission to promote Christ in the city’s 2026 Christmas pageant.

NT News (NTN) said that the group handing out free Bibles and freely singing worship songs were reasons for the decision.

According to NTN, the Council’s “careful” decision to deny the request was made on the grounds of feedback.

Although M4J was free to participate in 2024 and 2025, apparently, some people complained.

They took issue with the nature and noise of the group’s participation, such as hearing someone quote John 3:16 using a microphone.

Quoting Darwin Council, NTN said concerns were raised about “the nature and volume of chanting by members of your group during the procession, and the distribution of promotional merchandise to spectators.”

Council chief executive Simone Saunders also reportedly stated that the group had been accused of “overbearing, intimidating and confronting behaviour.”

Perthnow said Saunders had asserted that the rejection of M4J’s float was not related to religion, because other Christian and faith groups were participating.

Questioning the decision, Nicholas Lay, NT director for the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), called the decision “an extraordinary move.”

In the statement shared on Facebook, Lay stated that ACL is calling on the city council to reverse the decision and asked the territory’s anti-discrimination commissioner to clarify whether the Council’s conduct breaches religious discrimination laws.

Lay said that M4J consists of Christians sharing the glad tidings and good news of Jesus as they walk alongside other Darwinians, celebrating the birth of Jesus.

“Regardless of whether people believe or not,” Ley added, “the birth of Jesus is universally acknowledged as the reason for the season.”

He then explained that the so-called concerning promotional material was copies of the Gospel of John.

Lay wrote, “This is a shameful example of Darwin Council discriminating against a Christian group and seeking to take the Christ out of Christmas.

“The Pageant is promoted as festive and inclusive, but when a group is excluded on the basis of its Christian faith, it clearly demonstrates that inclusivity is a highly subjective term at Darwin Council. “We are calling on Darwin Council to immediately include the group in this year’s pageant and allow them to express their faith alongside other community members.”

Outside the email sent to M4J, so far, there has been no effort from the council to explain how excluding M4J as unsuitable reconciles with the council’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Neither has the council seemingly explained how complaints about M4J’s ‘nature and noise’ reconcile with freedom of expression and free speech.

Videos of March for Jesus’s participation last year contradict the council’s reasoning.

Both videos show a peaceful multiethnic crowd cheering, smiling and waving flags that elevate Christ. (See here and here)

This is hardly the kind of “concerning” march that apparent Christian-haters have complained to Darwin City Council about.

Either Darwin Council needs to practice better due diligence, or a wider agenda is being played out.

NT’s governing Country Liberal Party Attorney General and minister for major events, Marie-Clare Boothby, seems to think so.

She slammed the council’s call. In a short statement, Boothby said the decision “can only be described as un-Australian and it’s a decision that will outrage Territorians.

“Christmas is all about celebrating faith and family and the very best of our community, and any move to ban anyone from taking part is completely unacceptable and against everything that Christmas stands for.”

Boothby added, “I strongly urge Council to reconsider its ridiculous decision.

“As a result, from 2027 the NT Government will take back the pageant to ensure it runs properly. We will restore its place as a staple event where everyone is welcome.”

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Image via screenshot of YouTube.