Police Under Fire After Approving Neo-Nazi Demonstration
New South Wales Police are facing severe criticism after authorising a neo-Nazi rally that took place directly outside the state parliament building on Saturday morning. The controversial gathering has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum and community leaders, who described it as a shameful display of hatred that threatens Australia's multicultural values.
Chilling Display of Hate Outside Parliament
The protest, organised by the National Socialist Network, featured 67 men dressed entirely in black chanting antisemitic slogans while holding a banner that read 'Abolish the Jewish Lobby'. During the approximately seven-minute demonstration, participants made inflammatory statements claiming that "The Jewish lobby is one of the most powerful lobbies in Australia. They bribe our politicians, they coerce our politicians."
The event concluded with participants chanting a slogan historically associated with Hitler Youth, adding to the deeply offensive nature of the gathering that occurred in the heart of Sydney's government district.
Police Communication Breakdown Revealed
NSW Police had approved the demonstration following a Form 1 application submitted by the White Australia group on October 28. However, in a surprising development, both Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Premier Chris Minns stated they were unaware the protest was scheduled until after it had already occurred.
Commissioner Lanyon admitted on Saturday that "There was a communication error in the police force for which I did not personally know that today's protest was taking place. Accordingly, I had not briefed the Minister of Police."
Premier Minns expressed profound concern about the incident and promised a comprehensive review of the approval process for protests. "We have been locked in discussions most of the day with the senior lawyers inside the government," Minns stated. "They believe that there is room to move in relation to protecting public harmony further than what we've currently constituted."
Political Condemnation and Calls for Legal Action
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman condemned the rally as representing a "new low" in public intimidation. "Seeing 67 black-shirt men outside the NSW Parliament, surrounding an 'Abolish the Jewish Lobby' banner and shouting hate, was a new low in intimidating, and instilling fear in, our Jewish community," Speakman declared.
He emphasised that "This was not legitimate free speech... It was a calculated act of hate that must be investigated and never allowed to happen again." Speakman joined calls for an investigation into whether the rally violated Section 93ZAA of the Crimes Act 1900, which addresses incitement of violence and hate speech.
Liberal MP Kellie Sloane echoed these demands, stating: "Time to test our new incitement to hatred laws. These thugs should be locked up. They are a threat not only to our Jewish community, who were the targets of today's chilling display, but to broader multicultural NSW."
Independent federal MP Allegra Spender urged the NSW Government to explore all legal options in response to the event. "I have spoken to the NSW Police Minister and urge the NSW Government and Police to look at all prosecution options under hate speech legislation," Spender said. She supported Premier Minns' review of existing legislation while highlighting the need for stronger national protections against hate speech.
The incident has sparked broader conversations about the balance between free speech and protecting minority communities from targeted hatred, with many calling for immediate reforms to prevent similar demonstrations from receiving official approval in future.
