‘Never again – that’s our message’
A neo-Nazi event held at a gym in Melbourne's western suburbs drew a crowd of around 300 protesters aligned to the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) has condemned a neo-Nazi event held at a gym in Melbourne’s western suburbs on Saturday, and has assured the community it is working comprehensively to marginalise extremist hatred.
The gym event drew a crowd of protesters to the Legacy Boxing Gym in Sunshine West, where the European Australian Movement and National Socialist Network, led by white supremacist Thomas Sewell, were holding “a white power-lifting competition”. A promotional post for the two-day event stated, “We implore members of the wider national community to celebrate the movement’s exponential growth with us.”
However, around 300 protesters – aligned to the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism – gathered outside the gym, chanting “No hate, no fear! Nazis are not welcome here!”
Organiser of the anti-Nazi protest, Jasmine Duff, told media, “Never again. That’s our message. Neo-Nazis are desperately trying to build a following, and they’re doing it in the heart of one of Melbourne’s most multicultural suburbs. We’re protesting to show that we stand intransigently against Nazism, and against racism and bigotry in all its forms.”
The gym, adorned in neo-Nazi symbols, appears to have other links to far-right extremists and was criticised by Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire earlier this year. Brimbank council has declared the municipality a Refugee Friendly Zone. Lancashire said, “On behalf of our community, Brimbank City Council condemns any intolerant, racist or fascist activity – or sentiment – within Brimbank, and in any other place.”
JCCV president Daniel Aghion said, “It is of great alarm that neo-Nazis continue to hold meetings and events in Melbourne. These events, despite taking place out of the public eye, are used to incite hatred towards the Jewish community and other diverse communities.
“The JCCV will continue to work closely with the Victorian government to ensure that our laws are strong enough to deal with these hate-filled groups. The JCCV will also continue to work with partners, including Victoria Police and CSG, to protect our community against those who seek to do us harm.”
Meanwhile, two Melbourne federal MPs have condemned a white supremacist flyer featuring their faked images. In the flyers distributed to letterboxes, Kooyong MP Monique Ryan is depicted giving a Nazi salute next to Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel standing in front of a framed picture of Adolf Hitler.
The flyer also vilifies former treasurer Josh Frydenberg and former Goldstein MP Tim Wilson.
It mentions “the Breivik Battalion”, a reference to Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Daniel, who reported the incident to Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police, told The AJN, “I’m appalled that our Jewish community continues to endure such grotesque, defamatory and antisemitic attacks close to a century after the Holocaust.
“I have just returned from an official visit to Israel which included a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum where the recorded victims in the Book of Names include pages of people bearing the same family name as my mother’s grandmother. It was a reminder of the vast reach of the Holocaust, an unspeakable atrocity, and the hate speech and sanctioned behaviour that led up to it.
“I remain committed to doing my utmost to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our Jewish community, including, for example, speaking in strong support of the government’s legislation to ban Nazi symbols, which is currently before Parliament.”
Ryan, who likewise reported the flyers to state and federal police, described them to The AJN as “a horrifying example of what the Jewish community endures too often. We have to remain vigilant against antisemitism, and to that end I look forward to voting in favour of the federal government’s plan to outlaw Nazi symbols.”
Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich stated, “Such satanic flyers not only scar and traumatise the victims but also shake the affected community, leaving many scared and vulnerable.”
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