Two female MPs report death and rape threats after condemning neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament | New South Wales politics
The Prime Minister rejected any suggestion that there was a “double standard” in how to handle the far right compared to pro-Palestinian activism, while two female MPs reported threats to police after they condemned a neo-Nazi rally outside the New South Wales parliament on Saturday.
The alleged threats against Federal MP Allegra Spending and State MP Kellie Sloane, which included death threats and calls for “rhetorical rape” of the federal MP, came after they both took to social media to condemn Saturday’s rally; where about 60 men dressed in black called for the elimination of the “Jewish lobby”, with speakers repeating antisemitic tropes.
NSW premier Chris Minns and police commissioner Mal Lanyon were again in the media spotlight on Monday but were unable to answer questions about where responsibility lies for the decision to allow the rally to go ahead.
Lanyon said an “internal communication error” allowed the protest to continue.
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The Prime Minister also rejected claims by pro-Palestinian activists that the mandate created a “double standard” in NSW police’s approach to protests.
Speaking on ABC radio on Monday morning, Sloane, the NSW shadow health minister and member for Vaucluse, said he had received dozens of “pretty hateful” messages on X on Sunday. Guardian Australia understands some of the messages contain death threats, saying they were “worrying enough to pass on to the police”. Sloane has since deactivated her account.
“I think there are a lot of keyboard cowards out there, and I’m a pretty resilient individual and I’m not easily disturbed by that kind of thing,” he said.
“I will not be afraid of them and I will not stop speaking out about behavior that is racist and offends the majority of decent people in New South Wales.”
In a statement on Monday, Harcama, who accused the rally held in
The threat, posted on the neo-Nazi group’s Telegram channel, allegedly reads: “Patriots, I order you to rhetorically rape Allegra Spender.”
“This is an extremely small group of extremist thugs who do not represent anyone,” Spending said.
“Australia’s best welcome and support our vibrant, multicultural country.”
An Australian Federal Police spokesman confirmed in a statement that it had received a crime report regarding threats against a federal MP.
NSW police have been contacted for comment.
Asked about the threats Sloane and Spreader allegedly received, Minns told reporters on Monday that they were “yet another example of what women, in particular, have to endure in public life.”
“Hats off to both of them – their readiness to stand up, put their views forward, put forward their beliefs about civic life in New South Wales.”
Saturday’s incident followed a rally held by the same group in front of parliament in June, with police permission. The permit was granted under the name “White Australia” and related to “current immigration levels and the cost of living crisis”.
Asked how far up the police chain of command the Form 1 application for Saturday’s rally had reached, Minns said he did not know.
“Of course I trust the commissioner’s word and [police minister Yasmin Catley] He said they were not aware of this. “I know I was not part of the review,” he said.
The application was approved after the NSW police local area command chose not to reject it within 7 days.
Minns said the government was investigating whether the ban on Nazi symbols could be extended to “Nazi speech, Nazi behavior on the Streets of Sydney”.
Minns said the government was also seeking “clarification and regulation” to ensure that an approved form 1 protest application does not give protesters a “free pass” when it comes to hate speech laws.
Saturday’s rally came after a controversial incident new lawsThe law, which makes it a crime to deliberately incite hatred against people because of their race, nationality or ethno-religious origin, only came into force in August.
NSW police confirmed it followed another rally by the same group espousing the “political ideology of white Australia”, which was allowed to take place in June. a subsequent parliamentary inquiry.
Minns denied the approach showed a “double standard” after the public administration and police opposed pro-Palestinian rallies on the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
“This will only be the case if the police are willing to deny the fact that they not only aided but worked with Palestine Action Group organizers for hundreds of rallies in Sydney,” he said.
Speaking to ABC radio on Monday, Spending said allowing the neo-Nazi rally to go ahead was an “event”.
“I think it’s been very unclear so far from the NSW government and also from the NSW police perspective what should have happened rather than what actually happened.”
