Australia adds White Australia to list of banned hate groups
In Australia, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that White Australia, which also used the name National Socialist Network (NSN), has been added to the list of banned hate groups. Supporting, funding, training, recruiting for, joining or leading the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
According to ABC News Australia, the organisation had previously declared its dissolution in an attempt to circumvent new hate speech laws. At the same time, its members continued organising online, including raising funds and appearing in far-right media.
Funds for a court challenge
NSN leader Thomas Sewell discussed a challenge in the High Court of Australia in March during a video podcast with American neo-Nazi James Mason. An online fundraiser created by Sewell to finance the court case raised $157,000 out of a planned $175,000.
Records on the fundraising page indicate that some donors may be located in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, while one contribution exceeded $10,000. In a video released on Friday, Sewell said that NSN had filed documents for a High Court challenge that day. He also reported an attempt to register the White Australia Party with the Australian Electoral Commission in April.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was confident that the legislation would withstand a court challenge. Tony Burke stressed that changing its name would not allow the group to avoid restrictions if it is deemed a continuation of the same organisation.
Links to March for Australia
The decision may also affect groups linked to neo-Nazis. Beck Walker, the national organiser of the anti-immigration group March for Australia, had previously denied NSN's involvement, but later said in a national Telegram chat that NSN members had helped the movement gain support and carried out other requests from her.
Walker told ABC NEWS Verify that NSN members worked as marshals at March for Australia events on Australia Day to monitor participants' safety and report problems to the organiser. At the same time, she denied their involvement in decision-making and organising the events.
NSN's leader in New South Wales, Jack Eltis, spoke at a March for Australia gathering in Sydney, where he advocated the idea of a “white Australia”. After the announcement that White Australia had been added to the list of banned groups, March for Australia said it was closing its main Telegram chat.
