Any doubts of neo-Nazi involvement in the march disappeared when one man rose to speak

2 weeks ago 9

If there was any doubt that the anti-immigration March for Australia rally was associated with neo-Nazism, that was well and truly dispelled by the events of Sunday.

From the start, at Flinders Street station in the morning, it was National Socialist Network’s Tom Sewell telling another rally participant, “I know the young guy,” referring to rally organiser Hugo Lennon. Once Hugo got there, Sewell said, “we’re gonna work out what we’re doing”.

Neo-Nazi leader Tom Sewell speaking at the March for Australia in Melbourne.

From then on, to the extent there was any sign of organisation among the grab-bag of grievances ranging over the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, it was the National Socialist Network that provided it.

The rally marched, literally, to their drummers, who pounded out a military style “left-right-left” beat from beginning to end. NSN members were involved from the start, to this rally’s very last violent incident outside Flinders Street station, when they chanted “rag head”, then attacked a man who crossed them.

The lowlight, however, must have been when Sewell mounted the steps of the state parliament building. Behind a coffin-shaped podium draped in the Australian flag, Sewell made what was, essentially, this rally’s keynote speech.

And he made it to huge acclaim. To be fair, some of the attendees may not have known that he was an Adolph Hitler-worshipping Nazi – but whether they did nor not, they met his anti-immigration rhetoric with rousing cheers and repeated chants of “Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi”.

Thomas Sewell at the head of the National Socialist Network confronts a line of riot police on St Kilda Road.

Sewell was careful to be as palatable as possible: no Sieg Heils, no “blood and honour” – just plenty of attacks on migration, the “Chinamen” and the government.

Most telling, though, was the clarity with which Sewell expressed his ambition – to use the thousands of people here and their various complaints as a recruiting tool. To make them forget Australia’s proud history of fighting Nazis, and convert them to his cause.

“You might not like the guy’s favourite colour, or his particular opinions of history,” Sewell said, “but when you’re in a fight with people that hate this country, sometimes you have to learn to make friends.”

The crowd roared.

“I’m asking you to respect ... that we need to put fighters at the front … We are here today to set aside our minute differences on historical events or versions of ideology. We are here as Australians, proud and true and thoroughbred.”

That Sewell should want to issue a call to arms for these thousands of people to join his group is hardly surprising. What’s surprising is that he was given such a broad platform to do so.