A man has been charged with publicly inciting racial hatred after allegedly making antisemitic comments at an anti-immigration rally in Sydney. Police claim he has links to a disbanded neo-Nazi group.
Brandan Koschel, 30, appeared before the NSW bail division court on Tuesday via video link from custody. He was refused bail and remanded in custody after Magistrate Daniel Covington expressed concerns over the risk he posed to the community.
Police allege Koschel attended the Sydney March for Australia rally on Monday with known members or associates of the National Socialist Network (NSN), a neo-Nazi group that disbanded last Sunday. They also cited open source information suggesting he was a member of the group.
During the rally, Koschel was seen wearing a black shirt with a Celtic cross, a symbol associated with neo-Nazis. He is alleged to have praised former NSN leader Thomas Sewell and called for the release of Joel Davis, who is in custody for allegedly threatening independent MP Allegra Spender.
Koschel was charged under section 93ZAA of the Crimes Act, which was introduced in February 2024 as part of a crackdown on hate speech. The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment. His lawyer argued he had no prior hate crime record and that the group had disbanded, but police countered that no bail conditions could mitigate the risk.
Magistrate Covington reserved his decision on bail until Wednesday, stating he needed to carefully read the legislation. The court heard the speech was made in front of several hundred people and was live-streamed.
