The National Socialist Network repeated the tactic on Anzac Day, when recruits scattered through the crowd at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance booed in the darkness of the dawn service – this time an attempt to confect outrage over the Welcome to Country ceremony.
Neo-Nazis then turned up at a polling booth impersonating Liberal Party campaigners and handed out antisemitic pamphlets.
As this masthead revealed, the NSN had been quietly gathering support to register a Nazi political party of its own under the name “White Australia”.
Now, across social media, an army of recruits began pumping out “hype edit” videos to lionise Sewell and his group.
By August 31, the NSN’s plan to step out of the shadows and into the mainstream was in full swing.
Sewell sent recruits to infiltrate and control the thousands of people gathered at March for Australia rallies he had secretly organised around the country. He and his most ardent followers marched in uniform at the front, and on the steps of Victoria’s parliament, Sewell gave the headline speech.
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Less than 48 hours later, he was railing against the premier for the cameras, but he could barely contain his grin – still gloating over the international attention the rallies had attracted.
Only now the mask was off.
Released on bail earlier this month over the violent assault that followed the march, Sewell spoke of his plans for revenge. “I’m going to make Helter Skelter look like a moderate when we win,” he said, referring to the murderous rampage and planned race war of Charles Manson’s cult. “These people are going to suffer.”
Experts who track Australia’s neo-Nazis say they have never seen them so emboldened. Police warn threats against politicians are climbing, and the NSN plan to march again at upcoming Australia Day rallies.
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Even with the Bondi massacre turning the spotlight back to Islamic extremism, Sewell and his racist soldiers are not far from the attention they crave.
This time, though, it might not be the kind they like.
As part of its crackdown on extremism, the Albanese government is moving to outlaw the NSN as a proscribed group – a similar designation to the kind used to disband neo–Nazi groups in Britain.
Appearing at court this month, Sewell immediately looked around for the TV cameras.
Next year, he will face a real fight to stay in the frame.
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