Are nazis in Chris Minns hate speech sights … or just Palestinian peace protestors?

The Minns Government’s response to Bondi has focused on anti-Israel protesters and hate speech but has so far ignored the Nazis. Sam from AltMediaWatch Ukraine is investigating the neo-Nazi movement.

The New South Wales Government is pushing forward with a plan to tighten the right to protest and ban the display of symbols of hate in response to the horrific Bondi terror attack.

Prime Minister Chris Minns has said he plans to ban the phrase “globalising the intifada” after linking pro-Palestinian protests to the 15 people killed at Bondi Beach.

The move is clearly a political move to appease Israeli lobby groups trying to silence anger over Israel’s genocide in Gaza and protests that have been successful in pressuring the Australian government to recognize the State of Palestine.

A real debate about antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi Massacre needs to target all communities, not just those that groups lobbying the NSW government seek to silence.

An example of this is the Ukrainian community groups that the Minns government openly supported in response to Russia’s genocide in Ukraine; but the reality is that there is a significant antisemitism problem within these Ukrainian community groups, a problem that the Minns government has directly facilitated.

Fundraiser for Da Vinci Wolves

On February 12, Stephen Kamper MP, a member of the Minns government, together with the NSW Ukrainian Council, hosted a fundraiser screening the Ukrainian documentary about Dmytro ‘Da Vinci’ Kotsiubailo, who was awarded the Hero of Ukraine medal in 2021 and was killed fighting Russia in the battle of Bakhmut in 2023.

The event raised $6,505, with proceeds going to the 1st Separate Mechanized Battalion (Da Vinci Wolves), the Brigade that Kotsiubailo commanded until his death.

The problem is that the Brigade is now led by neo-Nazi Serhii Filimonov, who served in the controversial Azov Battalion until it was merged with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a bid to purge more extremists like Filiminov from its ranks.

Neo Nazi Serhii Filimonov topless (left), with Valknut and Totenkopf tattoos and the ‘White Men’s Club’ (right)

Filimonov has numerous neo-Nazi tattoos, including the popular Valknut rune and the Totenkopf, the emblem of Hitler’s 3rd SS Panzer Division.

He was the leader of the violent Dynamo Ultras, an anti-Semitic football hooligan group known as the ‘White Boys Club’. The group’s emblem features an image of Prince Sviatoslav, a favorite of antisemites to destroy the Khazar empire, believed to be ‘fake Jews’ trying to infiltrate and destroy Europe and the West.

Fundraiser for 3rd Assault Brigade

On February 24, Ukraine’s highest body, the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, held a rally to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine.

NSW Premier Chris Minns spoke at the event alongside Senator Dave Sharma and a number of other state and federal politicians.

Prime Minister Chris Minns speaks at a rally commemorating the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

St. The rally at St. Mary’s Cathedral included a short ‘thank you’ video for Australians, including members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 3rd Assault Brigadereceived an online fundraising campaign hosted by Defend Ukraine Appeal a month ago.

Video message featuring the 2nd Mechanized Division of the 3rd Assault Brigade

3. The offensive is a follow-up to the controversial Azov Battalion and, like Azov, is heavily linked to neo-Nazis. In 2010, under the leadership of neo-Nazi Andriy Biletsky, former commander of the Azov Battalion quoted He said he believed Ukraine’s mission was to:

“Lead the white races of the world in one last crusade

…against Untermenschen led by Semites [subhumans]”.

A term commonly used by the Nazis to dehumanize Jews and other groups they deemed inferior.

The ‘Thank you’ video featured members of the medical unit in the Brigade’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, led by notorious neo-Nazi Denys Sokur, who also served in the former Azov Battalion. Sokur has a tattoo of ’88’ on his leg (common abbreviation for ‘Heil Hitler’) and a Sonnenrad, or black sun, tattoo on his elbow.

Denys Sokur with the Sonnenrad tattoo on his elbow

Sonnenrad came from Nazi Germany and was located on the marble floor of the Wewelsburg castle, run by Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS.

The symbol is popular among neo-Nazis.

worn by Australian neo-Nazi

The person who killed 51 people in the Christchurch mosque in 2019 and was on the cover of the manifesto he wrote. translated into Ukrainian and published by neo-Nazis in the Azov movement.

Ukrainian translation of the Christchurch attacker’s manifesto along with other books published by the Azov movement

A prominent neo-Nazi from the 3rd Assault Brigade sparked controversy last year after visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp wearing a shirt from a neo-Nazi black metal band that read: ‘Where are we, there is no room for anyone else’.

A quote attributed to Adolf Hitler.

Soldier of the 3rd Assault Brigade at Auschwitz wears a shirt with quotes from Hitler and receives a medal dressed in brigade uniform

CYM Youth and St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church

on March 9 The Sydney branch of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) held a memorial service for Nazi collaborator and war criminal Roman Shukhevych, also known by the pseudonym Taras Chuprynka.

Posting on CYM Sydney Facebook in memory of Nachtigal Commander Taras Chuprynka aka Roman Shukhevych.

Part of CYM Sydney 22 organizations The organizations that make up the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations (AFUO) regularly hold commemorations in honor of Shukhevych, who was the patron of the Youth group.

Shukhevych was the commander of the Nachtigall Battalion, a subunit of Nazi Germany’s special forces that participated in the killing of Jews in Lviv during the German Holocaust.

Holocaust survivor and former President of Yad Vashem, World Holocaust Memorial Center, Joseph Lapid noted From Shukhevych and his Battalion:

“The Nightingale Battalion of the Ukrainian legion participated in the murder of 4,000 Jews in Lviv in a terrible pogrom between June 30 and July 3, 1941. The Ukrainian commander of the battalion at that time was the Ukrainian nationalist Roman Shukhevych.

“The units he commanded, allegedly fighting for Ukraine’s independence, committed large-scale murder during the war. He was a war criminal.”

Following the disbandment of the Nachtigall Battalion, Shukhevych became deputy commander of the Auxiliary Police, which was sent to Belarus, where he fought against Soviet partisans and is believed to have participated in the killing of more Jews.

Auxiliary Police leaders with Roman Shukhevych (seated, second from left), 1942.

During the commemoration, CYM Sydney members also displayed the flag of the SS’s 14th Waffen Grenadier Division (1st Galicia), a mostly Ukrainian division that was part of the military wing of the Nazi Party and commanded by SS chief Heinrich Himmler. The flag was: It was gifted to the Youth Group in 2007 By UPA members who served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division and emigrated to Australia after World War II.

These commemorations are held at St. George’s Church, Lidcombe. Held at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church; The Sydney Ukrainian community has a commemorative plaque dedicated to its 14 members.This Waffen SS who “gave their lives for the freedom of Ukraine.”

The 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division Commemorative Plaque reads: ETERNAL VICTORY FOR THE FREEDOM OF UKRAINE ETERNAL HONOR TO ALL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE FREEDOM OF UKRAINE 1 UD FOR THE BROTHERHOOD OF COLLEGE SOLDIERS 1 UD UNA STATION SYDNEY 1995

The Ukrainian church store frequently sells patches bearing the Sonnenrad symbol for both the 14th Waffen SS and the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, and the shop’s patron even attended a parade of SS Battalion patches in Ukraine.

Neo-Nazi Azov Patches and 14th Waffen Patches St. Available at Andrew’s Ukrainian Church Store

The Minns government’s NSW Department of Health promotes both the Sydney Ukrainian Youth Group and the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe as support organizations for “Communities Affected by the Ukrainian Invasion” on its Intercultural Mental Health Center Website, despite the group’s open support of Nazi Battalions and their commanders.

NSW Health’s Center for Intercultural Mental Health Website.

Minn’s reaction to the Israel lobby, not antisemitism

News South Wales premier’s response to the Bondi Massacre has so far focused solely on the interests of Israeli lobby groups. It singles out and condemns only those who voice opposition to Israel’s genocide and does not address antisemitism equally in Australian society.

Independence In My Heart rally, Sydney, NSW, Australia, August 2023

When it comes to hate, there is no difference between displaying ISIS flags at protests and the Azov flag bearing the same neo-Nazi symbol worn by the Australian terrorist who killed 51 people on his way to mosques in Christchurch in 2019.

While we had seen strong condemnations from the government regarding the previous display of hate, we have not seen any subsequent condemnation, despite members of the Ukrainian community displaying the Azov flag at many of their protests, including at the Opera House, just weeks before the widely condemned pro-Palestinian rally on October 9th.This 2023.

Hate affects us all, not just communities with lobby groups equipped to pressure the government to put their interests above all Australians; Any approach that selectively highlights antisemitism and ignores displays of hatred in society is doomed to failure.

“Absolutely devastating.” Israel bans aid organizations in Gaza, Australia publishes anti-Semite list

Sam from AltMediaWatch is a far-right antifascist researcher in Australia who prefers to remain anonymous for security reasons but is known to MWM. His work can be found on X @AltMediaWatch.