Neo-Nazis Are Now Demonstrating on the Streets, More Emboldened Than Ever

Just like clockwork neo-Nazis started mobilising on the streets of Meanjin and Naarm right after the terror level was raised to “probable”, which the evidence hints at being a far-right threat, and these black clad and masked white men have now been demonstrating in a more emboldened manner.

The three leaders making the 5 August National Terrorism Level raising announcement did, however, neglect to mention that, as they spoke, for the past week, far right white nationalist mobs had been rioting across the UK, assaulting Muslims and immigrants, and threatening immigration lawyers.

In responding to a question, PM Anthony Albanese raised the pro-Palestinian movement, which confused the issue and was left to fester to be cleared up later. So, this would appear to be the nation’s leader having a go at a nonviolent group as he despises its stance and effective messaging.

ASIO director Mike Burges later appeared on the ABC’s 7.30 Report and Insiders. And over these interviews explained that recent terror-related incidents have tended towards far-right extremism, while the Islamic sort is not really of concern, and the threat rising has nothing to do with Gaza.

Yet, Burgess did do something else during the terror level alert, as he raised a new priority for ASIO , which is “politically-motivated-violence”, and while this does include terrorism, it also involves “violent protest, riot or attack”, and, since then, neo-Nazis have been agitating with a bit of traction.

Nazis actions commonplace

“Like most right-wing extremists, the National Socialist Network is opportunistic and reactive, trying to latch on to domestic and international events to amplify their message to broader audiences,” the White Rose Society told Sydney Criminal Lawyers.

Indeed, white supremacist groups have been part of the Australian suburban landscape for at least half a century. 

But following the rise of groups like Reclaim Australia circa 2015, they’ve gradually shifted towards online organised decentralised networks of small groups, active clubs, as WRS has explained.

“If there is an event that even tangentially associates with their themes of anti-immigration, which they call ‘remigration’, racism, Islamophobia or anti-LGBTIQA+, then the NSN will attempt to co-opt it,” the White Rose Society continued, hinting back to the first prominent public neo-Nazi protest.

A decade ago, groups like Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front were holding anti-immigration white nationalist protests. Yet, neo-Nazis in uniformed black didn’t start openly rallying until March 2023, when they mobilised in support of UK anti-transgender figure Kellie-Jay Keen.

And those partaking in these street rallies are part of the Nationalist Socialist Network, but there is obviously some overlapping with the other main network the European Australian Movement. And the other new aspect to these groups is that they’re well connected and respected online globally.

“The federal government’s terrorism threat level upgrade was unlikely to have inspired them to take action, considering the much more appealing motivation of current events in the UK,” the collective of antifascists researchers made clear.

The thin blue line

But the nastiest display to date was likely that held last Friday in Naarm-Melbourne’s Docklands on Bourke Street out the front of the Home Affairs Department offices, where the Encampment for Permanent Visas 24/7 refugee rally, that’s been going on for a month now, was gathered.

As a couple of dozen NSN members turned up across from the street from some of the most marginalised people in our society, who have fled nations, such as Sri Lanka and Iran, and have now been living amongst us for up to 12 years, to threaten them as they called on Labor for permanency.

According to WRS, instead what the refugees copped was black-clad NSN members unfurling “a banner with the racist slogan ‘Fuck Off We’re Full’ and shouting, ‘Get out of our country, you brown cunts’, as well as ‘Australia for the white man’ and the neo-Nazi slogan ‘blood and honour’.

Most of this neo-Nazis mobilising has been taking place in Melbourne city, although they have made some rather unnoticed appearances in Ballarat and Sydney.

And the bizarre aspect to the policing of the neo-Nazi events in Naarm is that it appears that a protective line of Victorian police officers now forms around them each time to keep antifascist counterprotesters at bay.

So, on 16 August, there were people from the Middle East and South Asia peacefully assembled on one side of the road and on the other, behind a wall of armed and uniformed police, a group of white supremacists called out threatening and racist remarks about how they should leave the country.

WRS questions why instead of standing by as men call out racist and threatening remarks towards refugees, Victoria police isn’t arresting and charging these men with serious racial vilification, under section 24 of the Racial and Religious and Tolerance Act 2001 (VIC), which carries 6 months inside.

“The NSN’s language has escalated in the last 12 months, and its public actions have become more frequent, coordinated, visible and agile,” the White Rose Society added.

The great white myth

ASIO boss Burgess has suggested the main likely terror threat at present is a lone actor committing an ideologically motivated, newspeak for white nationalist, act of violence, as has been the case with several attempted and actual incidents of violence in NSW of late.

And then there’s the white riots in the UK, which are getting more sophisticated to the point of circulating lists of law firms that deal with immigration cases for targeted attacks, whilst there were attempts to burn down several hotels acting as housing for asylum seekers.

About 40 NSN members mobilised in Meanjin-Brisbane on 11 August. And this too was a bolder action in terms of location and size. Yet, the Queensland cops weren’t so accommodating, with footage circulating of them threatening a few neo-Nazis who got close to the Gaza genocide rally.

But Australian authorities have always been coy about calling out white nationalist actors because the sort of attitude they represent helped build the foundations of the Australian state and the notions that preoccupy them help to inform the general outlook of law enforcement bodies and the like.

As for the prime minister he’s taken the moment to appoint an antisemitism envoy, who’s also a preoccupied Zionist, or settler colonialist, whilst he’s still continuing to avoid appointing an Islamophobia envoy, but he continues to persecute the pro-Palestinian movement with venom.

And then there’s ex-Queensland police officer Peter Dutton dog whistling from sideline, making vile comments about denying all Palestinians fleeing a genocide entry into this country.

And the ridiculous thing is white Australia has always been a myth.