Australian neo-Nazi attack on sacred Indigenous site a worrying trend

Melbourne, Australia – A far-right “anti-immigration” march escalated into a convulsive attack connected a ineffable Indigenous tract successful Melbourne past weekend, raising superior questions astir constabulary behaviour and organization responses to neo-Nazi groups successful Australia.

The march connected Sunday, which saw members of the self-described neo-Nazi National Socialist Network (NSN) pb chants of “Australia for the achromatic man”, culminated successful a radical of 50 men storming Camp Sovereignty – the tract of a historical Aboriginal burial crushed successful the city.

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The onslaught near 4 radical injured, with 2 hospitalised for terrible caput wounds.

The “March for Australia” protestation against wide migration came conscionable 1 week aft much than 350,000 radical marched crossed Australia successful solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.

Far-right and neo-Nazi connections were evident successful the organisation of the march.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), salient far-right fig Hugo Lennon, an subordinate of the neo-Nazi NSN, was listed arsenic an archetypal organiser earlier being softly removed from the event’s Facebook leafage days prior.

In a connection released a time earlier the march, Thomas Sewell, person of the NSN, declared, “March for Australia is astir stopping immigration. No amerciable actions oregon gestures volition beryllium performed by our members connected the day.”

For some, the ensuing unit astatine Camp Sovereignty made wide the event’s underlying intentions.

“The rally was ne'er astir migration but an excuse to parade achromatic supremacist ideas successful Australia,” said Ilo Diaz from the Centre Against Racial Profiling.

‘We knew they were coming back’: The battle connected Camp Sovereignty

The Camp Sovereignty protestation tract occupies the “Kings Domain” parkland country successful cardinal Melbourne.

The campy is considered a sovereign embassy of Australia’s First Nation radical and a ineffable abstraction dedicated to honouring Indigenous ancestors and healing generational trauma wrong the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, peculiarly the Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri radical of the Kulin Nation.

Established successful 2006 by elders Robbie and Marg Thorpe, Camp Sovereignty marks the tract of an Indigenous ceremonial spot and burial ground, and has travel to symbolise ongoing Indigenous absorption successful Australia, advocating for an extremity to genocide and designation of Indigenous sovereignty and onshore rights.

Nathalie Farah, who said she was kicked successful the tummy during the onslaught connected the camp, said the menace from the acold close was evident hours earlier the unit took place.

“Earlier that morning, Tom [Sewell] and a mates of his mates walked done Camp Sovereignty,” Farah told Al Jazeera.

“They wanted to locomotion done the ineffable fire. We knew that they were going to travel back. The constabulary knew they were coming back,” Farah said.

At astir 5pm section time, a ample group, led by Sewell, equipped with poles and pipes, charged the camp.

National Socialist Network person Thomas Sewell, centre, reacts against a constabulary serviceman during the “March for Australia” anti-immigration rally connected August 31, 2025 [William West/AFP]

Video footage shared connected societal media showed the attackers, astir dressed wholly successful black, charging towards the campy and assaulting anyone successful their way arsenic they tore down First Nation flags and inflicted harm to the site.

The Black Peoples Union, an Indigenous governmental organisation, said the attackers chanted “white power” and radical slurs portion stamping connected the camp’s ineffable occurrence – which is kept burning to honour the Indigenous ancestors buried astatine the tract – and trampling connected the Aboriginal flag.

Video clips of the onslaught showed the men and younger youths specifically targeting women astatine the camp.

“I had what looked similar a 15-year-old lad rip my hair, propulsion maine to the crushed and smash into my look with his fists. He did it with a grin connected his face,” a 30-year-old teacher said successful a witnesser connection to the Black Peoples Union.

Naarm Frontline Medics, a unpaid aesculapian group, alleged constabulary arrived astatine the campy lone aft the attackers fled, and claimed officers “came with capsicum spray drawn connected the victims of the assault, not the attackers”.

The medics besides accused officers of having “actively obstructed the victims ‘ entree to exigency aesculapian care”.

Victoria Police confirmed they made nary arrests astatine the site.

A ‘globally networked’ threat

Researchers enactment the onslaught connected Camp Sovereignty was not an isolated incidental but portion of a growing, internationally connected, far-right threat.

The White Rose Society, which monitors far-right extremism, told Al Jazeera the neo-Nazi NSN radical is “heavily networked with the planetary acold right” done groups specified arsenic Terrorgram and 764/COM, with leaders “playing a salient relation successful the planetary progressive nine network”.

“Australian fascists and neo-Nazis person extended scope connected societal media to an planetary audience, contributing to neo-Nazi quality sites that beforehand anti-Semitic content,” the radical said.

The NSN did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

A protester wearing a garment showing an representation of US President Donald Trump arsenic a stylised depiction of Rambo is seen during the “March for Australia” anti-immigration rally successful Melbourne connected August 31, 2025 [William West/AFP]

The group’s Telegram transmission displays aggregate videos showing members grooming successful combat techniques and chanting “white men combat back”, contented that is besides promoted crossed their TikTok accounts and authoritative website.

The campy onslaught has highlighted concerns among immoderate regarding the selective condemnation of far-right unit from authoritative institutions successful Australia.

Australia’s peculiar envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, who was appointed to pb efforts against anti-Semitic actions successful Australia, has yet to contented a connection addressing the neo-Nazi violence.

Segal besides declined to code the relation of neo-Nazis successful the “March for Australia” protest, telling reporters astatine a conference: “I don’t privation to remark connected immoderate peculiar incidents arsenic I deliberation this goes beyond immoderate peculiar incident.”

In July, Segal said she had nary engagement successful a large donation by a institution co-directed by her hubby to Advance Australia – a blimpish lobby radical that rails against immigration, pro-Palestinian protests, and the Labor authorities of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe, a Djab Wurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman, condemned what she called organization hypocrisy successful dealing with the far-right successful Australia.

“Why are the authorities allowing this to happen? Why is the premier curate allowing this to happen?” Senator Thorpe said.

Thorpe has demanded a afloat probe into the onslaught connected Camp Sovereignty and has straight linked the dilatory constabulary effect to systemic racism successful Australian society.

Police apprehension a protester during the “March for Australia” anti-immigration rally successful Melbourne connected August 31, 2025 [William West/AFP]

“We spot however the Victorian Police dainty Aboriginal radical each time connected the streets. There needs to beryllium a afloat probe connected the infiltration of the neo-Nazi question into not lone the Victorian constabulary force, but each alleged constabulary unit successful this country,” Thorpe said.

“I’m definite there’s a batch much members of the NSN that deterioration badges amongst the constabulary force,” she added.

The March for Australia rally proceeded with a important constabulary beingness past weekend. Videos and witnesser accounts amusement constabulary officers walking alongside the demonstrators.

When counter-protesters attempted to artifact NSN members from joining the main rally, video footage shared by the NSN and anti-fascist organisers showed constabulary utilizing capsicum spray, but lone connected counter-protesters.

Political commentator Tom Tanuki said this selectivity fitted a signifier of constabulary behaviour that “invariably” sides with the acold right.

“I wasn’t amazed to spot them, arsenic depicted successful my video, defending NSN’s introduction into the rally and pepper-spraying radical retired of the way,” Tanuki said.

A connection released earlier the march by Victoria Police declared, “Anyone reasoning of coming into the metropolis to origin trouble, show hateful behaviour, breach the bid oregon face others volition beryllium met with a beardown constabulary response.”

A measurement of accountability

More than 48 hours aft the onslaught connected Camp Sovereignty, NSN person Sewell was arrested and charged. On Friday, helium was denied bail by a tribunal successful Melbourne. Five different NSN members were arrested and released connected bail.

Despite the arrests, authorities person not classified the onslaught connected Camp Sovereignty arsenic a racially motivated hatred crime, which has prompted condemnation from Aboriginal leaders.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Senator Thorpe stated unequivocally: “Camp Sovereignty is our spot of worship. For the authorities, adjacent the national parliament and the premier minister, not to spot this arsenic a hatred crime, to garbage to sanction it and dainty it arsenic one, shows we person a superior occupation successful this country.

“It’s racism successful itself not to telephone it what it is,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe connected the unit to Australia’s assemblage legacy.

“The warfare has not ended for our people,” she added.

“We person implicit 600 Aboriginal deaths successful custody with nary 1 held accountable. 24,000 of our children person been taken from their mothers’ arms. They’re locking up our babies from property 10; 93 percent of the kid situation colonisation are our children. The genocide continues.”

Despite the attack, Camp Sovereignty remains, and a nationwide time of enactment has been called by Aboriginal absorption organisation The Blak Caucus connected September 13, to amusement solidarity with the camp.

Victoria Police abstracted counter-protesters arsenic demonstrators stitchery extracurricular Flinders Street presumption during the “March for Australia” anti-immigration rally successful Melbourne connected August 31, 2025 [Joel Carrett/EPA]