Australian Neo-Nazi Group Disbands Amid New Hate Speech Laws, Alleged Threats, and Australia Day Incidents

Neo-Nazi Group Disbands Citing New Federal Hate Speech Laws Amidst Investigations

The National Socialist Network (NSN), a neo-Nazi organization, has announced its disbandment, citing newly introduced federal hate speech legislation. This development coincides with ongoing police investigations into alleged threats targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and mosques, which have been linked to online extremist activities and individuals associated with the March for Australia movement. Across Australia, Australia Day rallies were met with heightened security, public safety orders in Sydney, and an incident in Perth where a device was allegedly thrown into a crowd.

New Federal Hate Speech Legislation

The Australian federal government has introduced new legislation aimed at making it simpler to designate organizations as prohibited hate groups. The proposed laws, released publicly and anticipated to be debated in federal parliament, were introduced following a terror attack in Bondi. Under the legislation, directing activities, being a member, recruiting, providing or receiving training, funding, or supporting a designated group would become criminal offenses, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke identified two groups as targets of this proposed legislation: the National Socialist Network (NSN) and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Minister Burke stated that "organizations that hate Australia" would no longer "play games with Australian law," referencing concerns from the ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess regarding the harm such groups pose to national security.

National Socialist Network Disbandment

The National Socialist Network (NSN) announced its decision to disband via a statement released on Telegram, signed by leader Thomas Sewell and other prominent white nationalists. The group stated that the closure of NSN would also lead to the cessation of affiliated "co-projects," including White Australia, the European Australian Movement, and the White Australia Party. The disbandment was intended to occur before the new laws took effect, aiming to prevent former members from facing arrest and charges.

This announcement was met with skepticism from various officials and experts. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke acknowledged the news, stating that combating bigotry is an ongoing effort. Extremism expert Josh Roose characterized the announcement as a "cynical ploy to avoid accountability," suggesting the group might be attempting to evade formal proscription while potentially shifting focus to forming a political party. Opposition home affairs spokesperson Jonno Duniam urged the government to ensure such groups cannot circumvent the proposed laws by rebranding. National security experts have also suggested that the formal dissolution could potentially make former members more volatile by freeing them from group discipline.

Despite the announced disbandment, online discussions suggest former members intend to continue their activities. Leaders, including Thomas Sewell, are reportedly planning a return under new banners, possibly as a political party. Sewell has initiated fundraising efforts to challenge the new hate speech laws.

Background and Activities of the National Socialist Network

The National Socialist Network has been identified by authorities as a group targeted by the new legislation. Before its announced disbandment, the group had indicated plans to form a political party and arranged a national gathering in Sydney. In November, approximately 60 men participated in a protest organized by NSN outside the NSW parliament.

Investigations have revealed that NSN members maintained direct contact with at least 30 overseas neo-Nazi extremist groups over five years. Nine of these groups are internationally listed as terror cells, with three—The Base, Atomwaffen, and Terrorgram—also banned in Australia. NSN leader Thomas Sewell reportedly maintained relationships with leaders of these groups, some of whom provided financial support and training to NSN members overseas. Specific instances include Brandon Russell, an Atomwaffen leader, who reportedly shared mass murder manuals, and Benjamin Raymond of National Action, who reportedly assisted Sewell in strategizing to circumvent a potential ban. US extremism expert Matt Kriner stated the NSN had developed a role similar to the outlawed Terrorgram network in connecting extremists globally.

At least 11 individuals charged with terrorism or serious violence have been linked to the NSN or its leaders, including the Australian perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, who reportedly donated money to Sewell.

Other instances include NSN members found with explosives and terror manuals in Adelaide in 2021, and a Sydney soldier surveilled at NSN training who was later found with child sex abuse material and terror manuals. NSN members reportedly trained frequently overseas with groups such as Golden Dawn in Greece and Nordic Resistance in Sweden.

The group reportedly aggressively recruited teenagers and men, doubling its size to approximately 350 committed members within a year. Thomas Sewell publicly advocated violence against law enforcement and threatened journalists and politicians, stating he would resort to terrorism if authorities targeted members' children. In private chats, NSN members reportedly venerated racist mass murderers, shared instructions for 3D printing guns and accessing banned terror manuals, and discussed violence against people of color. The NSN, in an email to supporters, denied advocating terrorism or violence and accused the federal government of altering regulations to suppress political freedom.

Hizb ut-Tahrir and Related Concerns

Hizb ut-Tahrir was also identified as a group targeted by the new hate speech legislation. Spokesperson Wassim Doureihi stated that Hizb ut-Tahrir is "neither hateful nor violent" and described it as "a set of ideas rooted in Islam," asserting that the government "cannot ban" the group's ideas unless it proposes to ban Islam itself. Doureihi did not confirm if the group would disband, emphasizing its record of "principled activism."

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess informed a parliamentary hearing that Hizb ut-Tahrir was "driving permission for violence" in its rhetoric concerning Israel, a claim Doureihi dismissed as "propaganda." Hizb ut-Tahrir is listed as a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK and banned in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Alleged Threats and Online Extremism

Australian police are investigating alleged threats to kidnap Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and send bombs to mosques, which led to two police raids. The threats reportedly emerged from an online chat room on the Discord platform, frequented by individuals associated with March for Australia organizers and neo-Nazi groups.

A recording obtained by a masthead indicated an offer of $10,000 for a man to rent a van and abduct Prime Minister Albanese. Separately, detectives raided a Sydney home of Nathan Ballesty, a neo-Nazi associate, over a social media post also allegedly calling for Albanese's abduction. Ballesty was released on bail with conditions, including not using Discord. Police have not confirmed if these cases are related.

The Discord server, promoted by a key March for Australia organizer, reportedly contained extremist content, including swastikas, racist remarks, rape jokes, and images of the Christchurch mass murderer Brenton Tarrant. Extremism experts identified these as coded threats and indicators of neo-Nazi influence. Following a terror attack in Bondi, neo-Nazi accounts and other users reportedly discussed marching on Sydney's Lakemba Mosque. Moderators of the chat server subsequently deleted messages, citing a need to prevent Discord from shutting down the server for inciting violence. The Lakemba Mosque later received a separate threat warning of coordinated violence targeting minorities at Australia Day rallies.

Experts reported a surge in far-right extremist recruitment after the Bondi shooting. Neo-Nazi accounts posted "hype edits" of the attack footage alongside recruitment links for the National Socialist Network, which has since disbanded.

A 20-year-old man was charged over a flyer circulating that called for a 'Cronulla riot' in retaliation for the terror attack.

On the Discord chat's livestream channel, a user identified as "cav" discussed abducting the Prime Minister to install a new "nationalist" regime. Another user, "xertz," was reportedly raided by police after allegedly claiming to be able to make high-powered bombs for mosques. This user was subsequently banned by moderators for discussing terror attacks. Discord later shut down the chatroom due to violations of its rules against violent extremism.

March for Australia organizer Hugo Lennon, whose personal website promoted the server, denied awareness of specific threats and condemned calls for violence, stating his involvement was minimal. Key March for Australia organizers, including Bec Freedom and Matt Trihey, have been linked to neo-Nazis despite previous denials. Reports indicate NSN leadership utilized far-right influencers to promote rallies as "spontaneous" movements while deploying undercover individuals for crowd control. The March for Australia official X feed posted an image of the Bondi massacre aftermath, captioned: "The Australian government did this to you."

Australia Day Rallies and Incidents

Australia Day, January 26, saw a series of rallies across major cities, with groups advocating for a change to the national holiday ("Invasion Day" rallies) and those supporting its retention ("March for Australia" rallies).

Public safety orders were issued to approximately 12 individuals, identified as neo-Nazis, ahead of planned anti-immigration rallies. These orders prohibited them from entering Sydney's Central Business District (CBD) for a 24-hour period. A breach of these orders could result in a five-year prison sentence. Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden cited considerations of individuals' past behavior posing a serious risk to public safety. Former members of the National Socialist Network had indicated plans to attend a March for Australia event.

NSW Police had previously extended restrictions on public protests across the state following a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, granting police authority to refuse authorization for public assemblies after a terror incident. However, the scope of this ban was subsequently limited, potentially allowing planned Invasion Day and anti-immigration rallies to proceed.

The city prepared for two opposing rallies. Victoria Police increased security measures following violent incidents at protests in October, with officers wearing helmets and supported by various police units. Police stated there was no current intelligence suggesting a heightened risk of violence but indicated unruly behavior would not be tolerated.

Hugo Lennon, identified as a far-right influencer and neo-Nazi associate, publicly claimed responsibility for placing offensive posters depicting Bondi shooter Naveed Akram around Melbourne, mimicking a well-known multiculturalism poster series. The City of Melbourne stated its staff removed approximately 40 of these spoof posters, and Victoria Police are conducting an ongoing investigation into the incidents.

A 31-year-old man was arrested after allegedly throwing a device into the crowd at an Invasion Day rally in Forrest Place. Witnesses reported seeing a male throw an object down in front of the stage area. Police responded immediately and arrested the individual. The man reportedly indicated that the device might contain explosives. The device, described as rudimentary and approximately the size of a medium coffee cup, contained ball bearings, screws, and an unknown liquid in a glass container. It did not detonate, and no injuries were reported. Western Australia Premier Roger Cook and Police Minister Reece Whitby condemned the incident. Police established an exclusion zone at Forrest Place and took one individual into custody, advising the public to avoid the area.

Coded Symbols and Enforcement Challenges

Australia's newly implemented hate speech laws may face challenges from former members of the National Socialist Network, who are reportedly using coded symbols to express their ideologies. The new laws enhance existing federal bans on Nazi salutes and symbols by expanding the definition of hate symbol offenses to include those of banned hate groups.

Far-right extremists are known for employing subtle and coded symbols, often drawing from Norse, pagan, and Anglo-Saxon imagery, to signal white supremacist beliefs. Specific examples include the Black Sun (sonnenrad), Nordic Futhark runes, the Sutton Hoo Helmet, numeric codes such as '14', '88', and '18', and brand associations like Helly Hansen.

Researchers indicate that these practices could significantly test the enforcement of the government's legislation.

Kieran Hardy, a far-right researcher from Griffith University, stated that neo-Nazis might identify themselves without forming a formal organization, posing challenges similar to those faced by counter-terrorism laws. He highlighted the difficulty in outlawing common numbers or clothing brands, as individuals could use them innocently, potentially allowing groups to circumvent the laws or push them further underground.