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April 14, 2025
Monday 14 April 2025
James Dowling
The Australian
Opposition home affairs spokesperson James Paterson has been targeted by a neo-Nazi protest, saying he was not “remotely intimidated by cosplaying losers” who – between racist chants – denigrated both major parties for abandoning “the white man”.
In social media video seen by The Australian, a group of 20 people clad head-to-toe in black with their faces obscured formed a barricade outside Senator Paterson’s office on York Street, South Melbourne, while an unmasked ringleader blared a speech into a megaphone beside a banner reading “Liberal or Labor Third World Australia”.
The man, who at one stage appears to make an illegal Nazi salute, led the group in chants of “Australia for the white man” and “hail victory”.
“Our people are displaced by swarms of foreigners. Every excess is allowed to fester in our city,” he said.
“Our people are deprived of housing and are forced to compete with foreigners here and abroad for stagnating wages of diminishing value. The Liberal Party is swapping us with third world populations, and the Labor Party is dragging us into third world conditions.
“Both are the same. Each is an interchangeable conspirator.”
Senator Paterson has been a vocal opponent of Nazism and anti-Semites, leading the Coalition’s policy in both regards. In a statement he said he was unperturbed in the wake of the protest.
“I certainly won’t be lectured on patriotism from people who worship a failed foreign regime. These protesters only make me more determined to protect Australians from extremists of all stripes,” he said.
“I’m not remotely intimidated by cosplaying losers who hide their faces behind masks.”
Victoria Police said it was investigating to see if it was an illegal protest.
“Police responded to a report of a protest in South Melbourne on 13 April. It is understood a group of 20 people were outside a business on York Street about 1.15pm,” a spokesperson said.
“The group dispersed before police arrived. Investigators are currently making inquiries into the incident and if any offences were committed.”
The protest, in which the ringleader warned politicians would not be left “unpunished”, comes less than a week after The Australian revealed Peter Dutton was allegedly the target of a 16-year-old Brisbane private school student charged with terror offences.
Anthony Albanese said, in the wake of the news, that he had also been subject to “a pretty serious incident” which was before the cops.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has warned threats against politicians are on the rise from 555 in the 2021-22 financial year to 1009 in 2023-24.
“Australia’s politicians and high office holders are being targeted because they have a public profile, because of the comments they have made in the media, or their positions on policy,” he said.
“The politicians who’ve been targeted are across the political spectrum.
“We are recording an increase in issue-motivated extremism and offenders who are quickly willing to use violence to further their cause.”
Labor MP Josh Burns’ electoral office was vandalised and set alight by protesters in June.