The Australian Federal Police has declared it is “concerned” about the efforts of the country’s largest nationalist group to form their own political party, and admitted targeting them for non-criminal and non-violent behaviour.
Acting deputy commissioner Nigel Ryan told parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters on Friday that the AFP was “pivoting towards issues affecting social cohesion”, and was trying to “dissuade” National Socialist Network (NSN) members from expressing themselves in public.
Ryan confirmed the AFP was now using new National Security Investigations teams against groups like the NSN – the activist branch of political organisation White Australia – that are not committing violence or criminal offences but are allegedly involved in “disturbing behaviour”.
The AFP has admitted using new National Security Investigations teams to target right-wing groups that are not engaged in criminal or violent behaviour, such as the National Socialist Network.
It also said it was “concerning” they were forming a political party. pic.twitter.com/v00LI03CmQ
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“More of a concern [than sovereign citizens] are some of those groups like the National Socialist Network, who we’re seeing trying to get into more of a political space. Our understanding is that the NSN is looking at whether they can form themselves as a political party,” he said.
“But we do see their activity more broadly that doesn’t actually hit a threshold in terms of criminal offending, but the behaviour is concerning in terms of them pushing towards the line and a threshold that would be considered not violent behaviour, but disturbing behaviour in terms of what it means about how people feel about their safety and how they feel about the social cohesion aspects.
“So to that extent the AFP has formed new teams, the National Security Investigations teams, which are looking more towards those fringe elements that are working within society that are causing concern but not actually meeting the threshold, to have a look at where we can actively work in the preventative and disruptive space to dissuade some of these groups from some of their public behaviours.”
The comments came after White Australia leader Thomas Sewell was found not guilty of offensive behaviour for leading an NSN rally through Ballarat in 2023.
Mr Sewell, representing himself, successfully argued that his conduct, which included marching with a banner saying “Australia for the White man”, was political and not offensive. He is currently in jail on remand on unrelated charges over an alleged clash with far-left extremists in Melbourne on August 31.
Acting leader Jacob Hersant is also awaiting the result of his appeal of a one-month jail sentence for allegedly performing a Nazi salute, and several other NSN members are facing similar offensive behaviour charges laid in recent months over political rallies, including Mr Sewell.
White Australia announced earlier this year that it was seeking to register as a political party with the Australian Electoral Commission, and NSW activist Jack Eltis said on Thursday the organisation was “very close” to reaching the required number of signatures.
After the release of the group’s documentary White Australia Rising on Friday about its Nationals event, where 150 activists marched through Melbourne’s CBD in August, prominent member Joel Davis put out an appeal for NSW supporters to register as supporters in time for the next state election.
Header image: Left, a White Australia seminar in October (Telegram). Right, Nigel Ryan (AFP).
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