Neo-Nazi Joel Davis charged with inciting hatred over ‘Abolish the Jewish lobby’ rally at NSW parliament | New South Wales
Prominent neo-Nazi Joel Davis has been charged with alleged hate speech following a National Socialist Network protest outside the New South Wales parliament.
About 60 members of the now-defunct group organized on Macquarie Street on November 8 last year, allegedly carrying a large banner that read “Dismantle the Jewish lobby”.
Following an investigation into the protest and two speeches allegedly made by participants, a 32-year-old man was arrested at his home in South Penrith earlier that day, NSW police said in a statement on Wednesday night.
Davis was taken to Penrith police station on charges of publicly inciting hatred and causing fear on racial grounds. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Center local court on June 3.
“An investigation into this matter was conducted by the security investigation unit, counterterrorism and special tactics command, and legal advice was requested regarding the content of public meetings and speeches,” police said.
NSW police have been criticized for not opposing the organisers’ “form 1” application after receiving legal advice during the demonstration that the banner did not meet the threshold for hate speech.
Premier Chris Minns and police commissioner Mal Lanyon said they were unaware of the incident until after it was over.
Documents released under freedom of information revealed that senior police officers and members of the prime minister’s office security team were informed in advance about the neo-Nazi incident.
In a follow-up response to the NSW budget estimates in March, Lanyon said a subsequent investigation into the protesters “found no criminality”.
Wednesday’s charge follows criticism of the police response to antisemitism at the royal commission into alleged antisemitic incidents by members of the Jewish community.
Peter Wertheim, co-chairman of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, told the royal commission this week that police made the “wrong decision” in allowing the November protest to go ahead.
Wertheim made similar comments at the NSW parliamentary inquiry into legislation expanding hate speech offenses to include Nazi slogans and was appointed following protests outside parliament.
“With everyone [form 1] In the application in which objections were received – and in our view rightly so in most cases – the justification was expressed in terms of public safety considerations rather than considerations of legality.
The investigation recommended that the police develop internal training to guide enforcement of crimes targeting the far right.
The controversial offense of publicly inciting hatred on grounds of race in section 93ZAA of the NSW Crimes Act came into force in August 2025.
The state’s Law Reform Commission had opposed the move, arguing the laws would “add uncertainty and subjectivity to criminal law.”
NSW police have since been criticized for failing to lay criminal charges, including the assault of two Palestinian Australians following an anti-immigration march in August last year and the alleged racist abuse on a train.
Police minister Yasmin Catley said in March this year budget estimates showed six people had been charged under 93ZAA.
The government has refused to publish retired high court judge John Sackar’s independent review of hate speech laws, presented in November. Sackar was asked to expand the crime to include religion, gender identity and sexuality.
Davis was already out on bail after being accused of using a carriage service to threaten, harass or offend for allegedly calling a Telegram channel to “rhetorically rape” independent Wentworth MP Allegra Harcama, who was critical of the November 8 rally. He has not yet entered his defense on the charges.
The National Socialist Network claims it was disbanded in January, before legislation banning “hate groups” was introduced to the federal parliament following the Bondi terror attack.
NSW police have been contacted for comment.
– Additional reporting by Jordyn Beazley
