Police in Adelaide have hit nine nationalist activists with an obscure charge and onerous bail conditions in an apparent attempt to prevent them from participating in an Australia Day rally.
South Australia Police told Noticer News they charged six men with “wearing an article of disguise” over a protest in the Adelaide CBD on January 11 where masked members of right-wing activist group the National Socialist Network (NSN) unfurled a banner saying “mass deportations now” on the city’s Morphett St bridge.
But Noticer News understands at least three other men have also been charged over the peaceful demonstration, including one who did not attend the rally, and all but one have been slapped with strict bail conditions including not contacting other NSN members and associates, and not entering the Adelaide CBD.
One of alleged demonstrators had his case heard in a magistrate’s court last week after he was given bail conditions including no contact, no wearing of NSN or associated political insignia, and no entry to the CBD, with police prosecutors alleging in court the group were planning on holding another protest on January 26.
But the magistrate was not convinced that the conditions were relevant to the mask charge, and removed all except one prohibiting the man from wearing or possessing any “article of disguise” at “public displays in support of Nazi, neo Nazi, Nationalist or racist ideology”, noting it seemed like the police were trying to prevent a political protest in Adelaide on Australia Day.
Noticer News understands the other eight men charged were unable to challenge their bail conditions and remain banned from entering the Adelaide CBD, except for urgent medical or dental reasons, court appearances and legal appointments.
The Free Speech Union of Australia weighed in on the charges on X earlier this week in response to members of the public who asked them how wearing a mask at a protest could attract criminal charges, and whether it meant Australians no longer had the right to protest anonymously.
“So it’s an offence to wear masks, but they forced you to wear masks for a period of time?” one user queried.
“Apparently its an offence when and where the government disagrees with you wearing a mask. Otherwise you’d have a lawful excuse,” the FSU replied.
The South Australia chapter of the NSN wrote on its Telegram channel last week: “The beast system will not stop us. Its feeble attempts to crush the spirit of White men in revolt will do nothing but strengthen us. Your frail democracy is making us stronger, pigs.”
The Adelaide-based nationalists have also vowed to publicly demonstrate and celebrate Australia Day regardless of political policing.
In September last year the group held a peaceful counter-protest outside the Department of Home Affairs office in Adelaide where a group of “refugees” were demanding permanent visas.
Police Minister Dan Cregan later noted that the NSN did not physically interact with the so-called refugee protesters, and that “at no time was there an interaction of violence from either group, or breaches of the peace that fell outside of citizens’ rights to engage in a peaceful public protest”.
“South Australia Police did not witness any words or chants during the event that constituted an offence,” he said in a statement.
Nationalists are also planning an Australia Day celebration in Melbourne on January 26, with 1,000 people to attend an event outside Rod Laver Arena, since Labor Premier Jacinta Allan refused to reinstate the city’s annual parade which was scrapped by her predecessor Dan Andrews.
Victoria Police has been notified about that event, and said on Thursday it did not expect it to clash with a combined anti-Australia Day and “free Palestine” protest planned at the same time between Parliament House and Federation Square.
Header image: A National Socialist Network protest in Adelaide on January 11 (Telegram).
