Indigenous Australians Confront Escalating Online Racism and Hate
Australia has launched a parliamentary inquiry into racism and hate directed at First Nations people, as Indigenous Australians reveal a surge in violent and abusive messages online. Senator Lidia Thorpe has declared that racism has "never been this bad", highlighting a disturbing trend that is leaving communities feeling unsafe.
Daily Torrent of Abuse
Natasha Wanganeen, a Kaurna, Narungga and Ngarrindjeri woman, describes how racist comments on her social media posts have transformed from a trickle to a torrent. "Disgusting abuse" has become a daily reality, including a 2020 Facebook voice message where a man threatened her with sexual assault, called her a "fucking filthy abo whore", and asserted that Australia was "white people's land now". In the past six months alone, she has been labelled a "black cunt" and a "cancer on society".
Systemic Increase in Violent Rhetoric
Wanganeen's experience is echoed by numerous high-profile Indigenous Australians, who report that online abuse is not only frequent but worsening. Many attribute a marked uptick in violent rhetoric to the failed Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023. The Jumbunna Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, through its Call It Out register established in 2022, collects evidence of this surge, receiving about 500 reports annually of racist incidents towards First Nations people.
Dr Fiona Allison, an associate professor at the institute, warns that online hate carries real-world implications, with reports including threats of violence, references to KKK ideology, and lynchings. The volume of messages makes it difficult to distinguish between idle threats and those that may be acted upon.
Parliamentary Inquiry Announced
Following an attempted terror attack allegedly targeting Indigenous people in Perth on 26 January, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy expressed deep concern over the increase in online hatred and racism. On Thursday, she announced a parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate, and violence directed toward First Nations people. The inquiry will examine both the Perth incident and an attack on Melbourne's Camp Sovereignty by neo-Nazis, events McCarthy said have left First Nations people "feeling scared and angry".
"I regularly hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that they are facing increasing hate and racism, especially online. We must stand up against racism in all its forms," McCarthy stated. Submissions close on 1 May, with findings to be tabled in September.
Politicians and Influencers Targeted
Indigenous MPs like McCarthy and her Labor colleague Dorinda Cox face a high volume of racist abuse online. Cox, a Yamatji and Noongar woman, regularly receives trolling, abusive phone calls, and comments on social media, including posts calling her a "lying cunt". She emphasises the importance of moderating comments to protect her community from racial slurs.
Fitness influencer Allira Potter, who gained prominence during the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, notes a rise in abusive comments when she discusses issues like Invasion Day. She observes that many people now feel "comfortable being racist", forcing her to restrict comments to followers only on platforms like TikTok.
Senator Thorpe's Harrowing Experience
Independent Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman, describes herself as a lightning rod for racists. She receives death threats, threats of sexual violence, and emails labelling her an "abo", "nigger bitch", and urging her to "off herself". In 2023, the Australian Federal Police investigated a video where men burned the Aboriginal flag and performed a Nazi salute directed at her.
Thorpe now takes extensive safety precautions, including having federal police protection, locking her office doors, and avoiding public announcements of speaking engagements. "I'm always on guard, and I'm always careful making sure my family are safe and my community is safe from any harm wherever I go. It's relentless," she says.
Post-Referendum Escalation
Thomas Mayo, a Kaurareg, Kalkalgal and Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man and lead campaigner for the Voice, notes that racism online "exploded" after the Coalition opposed the referendum in late 2022. He believes this gave permission to racists to attack Aboriginal people, with his family also facing abuse and threats aimed at intimidation.
Despite the harassment, Thorpe and others refuse to be silenced. "I'm not letting them fucking silence me and stop me from doing this. Because this is my responsibility," Thorpe asserts, though she acknowledges a constant sense of nervousness and paranoia.
Support services: Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for crisis support, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
