Anti-immigration rallies that have drawn out tens of thousands of Australians in capital cities are being secretly controlled by neo-Nazis â part of a co-ordinated âfraud on the publicâ experts say could become even more violent when they march again next month.
An investigation by this masthead can reveal how neo-Nazi leadership is using far-right influencers to sell the March for Australia rallies as a âspontaneousâ groundswell of âeveryday Australiansâ, while they stack crowds with plain clothes Nazis and send key members interstate to headline rallies. Some neo-Nazis have even donned yellow vests to act as official safety marshals in order to bring marches under the groupâs control.
Leaked chatlogs, recordings and insider accounts tell the full story of how the March for Australia rallies grew out of a mysterious TikTok video in early August and descended into a day of chaos and violence across the country on August 31.
And they lay bare the strategy of Australiaâs most prominent neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, as they move to radicalise the right to their dangerous fascist ideology under the cloak of the Australian flag.
In The Age
âDonât mention Hitler and youâre sweetâ: The great March for Australia deception
in The AgeNeo-Nazis quietly forming a political party to try to get around the law
in The AgeWhile the National Socialist Network might be âdeluded in thinking they can get a Nazi electedâ, researchers at the White Rose Society say âyou just have to look at the way [some] mainstream conservativesâ have latched onto the Shrine booing stunt, to question Welcome to Country ceremonies, âto get a preview of how a Nazi political campaign will be used to push the Overton windowâ, referring to efforts to bring extreme views into the mainstream.
Far from deflating their party launch, researcher Dr Kaz Ross expects the publicity from the stunt will boost it. âTheyâre eating One Nationâs lunch,â she said. âAnd theyâre growing.â
Docklands should be turned into our next live music hub
in The AgeUndoubtedly mistakes were made in the policies, planning and delivery of this area. But that doesnât mean improvements canât be made. If we pause to consider that Fitzroy, Carlton and Richmond were once regarded as highly undesirable places to live or visit, this should propel us to think of what a cultural hub Docklands could become.
A golden opportunity is developing the precinct into Melbourneâs home for live music. Given the right encouragement and planning to grow, Docklands could be the rebellious musical counterpart to the high-class cultural experiences on offer in the cityâs arts precinct. Prior to COVID, live music contributed around $1.5 billion to Victoriaâs economy each year which makes its recovery and expansion a very valuable proposition.
State Library staff revolt over treatment of pro-Palestine writers
in The AgeMore than 100 staff members at State Library Victoria have written to its chief executive expressing anger at the postponement of a series of writing workshops, claiming the events were scrapped because of the pro-Palestinian views held by the writers hosting them.
The Teen Writing Bootcamps, which were to be conducted by six writers - four of whom had publicly expressed strong opposition to Israelâs war in Gaza - were suddenly cancelled last week without giving the hosts or attendees a clear reason for the move. A statement from the library at the time said the events were postponed due to concerns around the safety of participants, presenters and facilitators.
Three sources working at the library with knowledge of the events have told this masthead the workshops were postponed because of the political views held by the writers.
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The libraryâs head of audience engagement, Angharad Wynne-Jones, resigned last Thursday. Three library sources said her resignation was directly related to postponement of the events. Wynne-Jones did not respond to questions, and the library said it did not comment on individual staff.
Library staff who spoke to this masthead, speaking anonymously because they were fearful of their employment being placed in jeopardy, said they were concerned and frustrated by the lack of transparency shown by management, pointing to conflicting internal statements and inconsistencies between internal and external communications.
In response to growing internal backlash at the decision made by library management, staff began circulating a letter criticising the way the writers had been treated. The letter accuses the chief executive, board and executive team of undermining the institutionâs values and sending a message of âdiscrimination and censorshipâ.
Lowering speed limits can help save lives
in The AgeMotorist deaths in Melbourne have fallen by half over the past decade, but thereâs been no reduction in deaths among pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicycle riders over the same period.
It is in this context that City of Yarra councillors voted last week to expand a trial of 30km/h speed limits across all of Fitzroy and Collingwood, other than major thoroughfares and pending state government approval.
A growing number of major cities including London, Paris, Toronto and Barcelona are adopting 30km/h limits on their streets and say it has made their cities safer. The World Health Organisation has called for it to be the maximum where vehicles mix with pedestrians and cyclists. But Victoria Policeâs chief commissioner, Shane Patton, scoffed at the plan last week, saying he was not aware of any evidence that it would reduce road trauma. âI think no one is going to obey it ... itâs ridiculous,â he said.
Pattonâs view â although perhaps widely shared â may have been a shock to Victoria Policeâs fellow members of the Victorian Government Road Safety Partnership, made up of the Transport Accident Commission and the Transport, Justice and Health departments.
The partnership told a state parliament inquiry into road trauma earlier this year that successive studies had shown that 30km/h was the âmaximum impact speed for a healthy adult before death or very serious injury becomes increasingly likelyâ.
Someone hit by a car at 50km/h has a 90 per cent chance of being killed, compared with a 10 per cent chance at 30km/h, those studies show.
Corkman Hotel replica to rise from the ruins after rogue owners back down
in The AgeThe owners of the Corkman hotel site in Carlton will build a replica of the heritage pub they illegally demolished seven years ago.
In 2016, Raman Shaqiri and Stefce Kutlesovski knocked down the pub that had stood on the site since 1854. They had no planning permission or building permit.
The pair bought the Corkman Irish Pub for almost $5 million in 2015 and plans obtained by The Age soon after the demolition showed them considering a 12-storey student housing project on the site.
After public outrage at the brazen demolition, then planning minister Richard Wynne ordered that the pub be immediately rebuilt. But after a drawn-out legal battle, the pair were given an alternative: get a new plan for the site approved by the planning minister or rebuild the heritage facade.
Tap off: Why Melbourneâs public transport system doesnât need ticket cops
in The AgeMost of the revenue lost in Victoria due to fare evasion comes from the career evaders, who were the smallest group of the four. These people were found to be typically wealthy and chose to evade for the challenge rather than being unable to afford the ride. Of this group, Currie said, âWeâve got this archetypal, old view that itâs a young person or a drop-out thatâs doing bad stuff. No, thatâs not whatâs going on.â
What is going on, though, is that despite research showing the majority of fare evaders not having criminal intent, they are still being treated as though they do by the Victorian governmentâs authorised officers.
Double the high-rises: Why density should be Melbourneâs destiny
in The AgeInfrastructure Victoria has used a major new report to call for changes including building 130 more buildings taller than nine storeys in the city centre, setting targets for constructing new homes in established areas and replacing stamp duty.
It sounds the alarm on the social, environmental and economic costs if Melbourneâs growth continues to be predominantly in outer suburbs, where 56 per cent of the cityâs development has been occurring.