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A neo-Nazi who led the anti-Jewish rally outside NSW parliament is in custody after being arrested by the Australian Federal Police on Thursday.
The arrest of National Socialist Network spokesperson Joel Davis was announced by the group’s leader Tom Sewell online and confirmed by police sources not authorised to speak publicly.
Joel Davis, pictured last year. Credit: Justin McManus
“The AFP has undertaken operational activity in Bondi today,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “There is no ongoing risk to the community.”
It remained unclear whether the AFP had laid charges.
Within the NSN, an explicitly racist group that calls for mass deportations of non-white Australians, Davis is a key spokesperson. He gives media interviews, holds regular livestreams with other senior NSN figures, and speaks at public events.
Davis delivered an antisemitic speech at the “Abolish The Jewish Lobby” rally outside parliament on November 8, leading chants of the Hitler Youth slogan “Blood and Honour”.
Joel Davis, right, at the NSN event outside parliament.
After independent federal MP Allegra Spender decried the event, Davis called on supporters to “rhetorically rape” her. Spender and NSW Liberal shadow minister Kellie Sloane later referred a number of rape and death threats to the NSW Police.
“It was pretty shocking and not something you ever want to hear but we’ve referred it to the police and I have a lot of confidence in the Australian Federal Police,” Spender said.
NSW Police, who approved the Parliament House rally, are still investigating whether rally participants committed any crimes.
On Wednesday, the NSW government introduced to parliament new laws that would make it a crime to publicly display support for Nazi ideology, punishable by a $22,000 fine and up to two years in prison.
But the government is refusing to release the findings of an independent review of hate speech offences, which it received from retired Supreme Court judge John Sackar, KC, several days before the Parliament House rally.
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