‘Shameful’: Fury as neo-Nazis rally outside NSW parliament
Horrific footage has emerged of a group of neo-Nazis rallying outside the NSW parliament and drawing angry condemnation from political figures.
But in a twist, NSW Police revealed the demonstration was indeed permitted; The state’s top police officer has admitted there was a “miscommunication” between police and the government during the rally.
More than 60 members of the neo-Nazi organization known as the Nationalist Socialist Network (NSN) demonstrated in front of parliament shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday morning, carrying a large banner that read “Eliminate the Jewish lobby.”
Wearing dark clothes and sunglasses, the members chanted slogans used by the Hitler Youth.
They also spoke of aggressive and anti-Semitic conspiracies involving Jewish groups and the wider Jewish community, and opposed changes to new laws that came into force on August 15 banning public incitement to hatred.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said there had been a “breakdown in communication” between police and the government.
He said police received a Form 1 application from the White Australia group to organize a protest outside Parliament House on October 28, but the government was not informed of the process.
“We were told that the purpose of the protest was to protest against Jewish lobby groups and also against existing hate speech laws,” he said.
“The government was not informed about this process.
“I take this very personally, there was a miscommunication within the police department that I personally did not know was happening today’s protest.
“Accordingly, I did not brief the Minister of Security.”
Commissioner Lanyon said they would take action to determine whether the protest breached the state’s Crimes Act.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Prime Minister Chris Minns condemned the group, calling it a “shocking display of hate”.
“No one living in Sydney should have to endure this kind of hate speech on the steps of the People’s House,” he said.
“It is patently disgraceful that these people feel they have the right to demonstrate in such a vile, hateful way and spread discrimination and racism on the streets of Sydney.”
Policing and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley said the protest was “deeply regrettable” and should “have no place in NSW”.
“It is extremely concerning that this meeting took place without prior visibility,” he said.
“The Police Commissioner is urgently reviewing the circumstances, why we don’t know and what needs to change.”
He said he would work closely with the commissioner, the prime minister and the cabinet office to prevent similar protests.
“People have the right to protest, but this right does not extend to openly racist behavior that undermines our social cohesion,” he said.
“If his behavior today is found to have crossed any criminal boundaries, the police will take action and he will have my full support.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-chairman of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, said neo-Nazis were “adept at identifying prevailing grievances and prejudices in society and manipulating this for their own evil purposes”.
“To defeat this, our law enforcement and security agencies need the right legal tools to monitor and disrupt violent extremists and prevent them from threatening or physically harming peaceful Australians,” he said.
“But the most important thing we need to do is to restore civility, civility and basic rationality in our country, which will immediately eliminate the appeal of movements based on deplorable ideas such as overthrowing democracy and creating racial hierarchies.”
