A large but peaceful group of Australian nationalists have been targeted and verbally abused by police in Brisbane while marching in support of Britain’s ongoing anti-immigration protests, while a far-left extremist pro-Palestine rally was allowed to block streets nearby.
Police surrounded the 72 right-wing National Socialist Network demonstrators as they marched through the Brisbane CBD on Sunday with a “Free England” banner chanting “Australia for the White man, the rest must go”, some wearing light-coloured Covid masks after police banned them from wearing other types of face coverings.
Queensland Police said four men were arrested for allegedly obstructing officers, and that those taken into custody are assisting police with enquires but have not been charged.
Video shared by nationalist activist Joel Davis on social media shows police pushing and insulting both him and European Australian Movement leader Thomas Sewell while ordering them out of the area.
“You are nothing but a disgrace,” one officer said to Mr Sewell, before telling Mr Davis to “get lost” and hitting his phone camera while saying “I find that offensive and you’re in my space.”
As the pair walked away the same officer said “you are not welcome in this city, go, your behaviour is disgusting” before snatching Mr Sewell’s phone out of his hand. He then pushed Mr Sewell again and told him to “go back to Melbourne.
Mr Sewell and Mr Davis responded by saying they haven’t been violent, and the officer accused them of allegedly “committing a breach of the peace all morning … unlawful assembly … walking around disobeying traffic directions”.
“We stopped at every light,” Mr Sewell replied.
“You walked on the road, that’s disobeying a traffic direction for longer than necessary … you’re making everyone else here feel uncomfortable,” the officer replied.
When Mr Sewell told the cop he seemed upset, frustrated and “very worked up” despite the group not personally attacking him, the officer said: “You’re offensive, I find your beliefs offensive.”
“In Australia you can believe whatever you want,” Mr Davis replied and Mr Sewell said: “That’s the whole point of living in a democracy”.
“Police can’t decide just because they find your beliefs offensive to push you around,” Mr Davis continued as the officer appeared to shove him again from behind.
“You just think you can push people around for what they believe, you don’t actually believe in freedom or democracy do you, you’re like the Stasi.”
Mr Sewell told Noticer News: “White Australians successfully marched through the streets of Brisbane today despite unlawful police violence.
“We marched to show solidarity with the English people in their struggle, who suffer under the same antiwhite tyranny that attacked us today.”
At the same time the nationalist activists were being targeted by police a large pro-Palestine rally was underway nearby, with protesters waving Palestinian and Aboriginal flags.
A video shared by National Socialist Network leader Jacob Hersant showed the pro-Palestine protesters obstructing traffic a short distance away.
The caption read: “In the same city and on the same day as Queensland Police denied our rights, non-Whites and communists are allowed to assemble and express themselves politically. Two tier policing is undeniable.”
The people of Brisbane showing up for the people of Palestine. There is no peace on stolen land!! pic.twitter.com/79YSvsotbX
— Sharoon 🇵🇸 (@C0SM0SQUARE) August 11, 2024
The heavy-handed police response came after officers attempted to disrupt the same group’s White Australia Powerlifting Competition in Ashmore on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
The weightlifting event was underway at a Scout Hall at about 11am when a police helicopter appeared overhead and about 50 uniformed officers tried to force their way into the building, witnesses told Noticer News.
Queensland Police officers demanded event attendees, which included women, children and babies, give their identification and served several participants with a Public Safety Order claiming that they posed a “serious risk to public safety or security”.
The order prohibited respondents, defined as “the group of persons known as the National Socialist Network (also known as the European Australian Movement) meeting in Queensland from 10 August 2024 to 12 August 2024”, from wearing face coverings in a public place in South East Queensland between those dates.
The weightlifting event, which had bench press, squat and deadlift categories, proceeded despite the heavy police presence and finished at about 5pm.
Officers then attempted to serve the documents to more attendees as they departed.
