A group of sovereign citizens who claim the Australian government is illegitimate have filmed themselves entering a number of council offices to hand over “cease and desist” notices and proclaiming the establishment of a “demilitarised zone”.
In bizarre footage posted to TikTok, a group of activists with a group calling itself “Nmdaka Dalai Australis”, led by prominent sovereign citizen Rocco Varty, were seen entering the Canterbury-Bankstown Council building in western Sydney to lecture bemused staff behind the counter.
Nmdaka Dalai Australis, which according to its website translates to ‘Our Southern Lands’, claims to represent the traditional Aboriginal owners who “hold the highest authority over all our lands”.
Mr Varty is seen in one viral video with nearly 62,000 views requesting to speak to the council CEO.
“I’ve got documents here,” he tells the council worker.
“Proclamation made this the 4th day of February 2024 … for establishment of the demilitarised zone, the DMZ.
“The custodial law court, senior law elders and council in circle together with the first law chief and the provost marshal … it’s basically that you guys are operating and aiding and abetting a military force.
“Whereas the First Nations … the tribe of the Nmdaka Dalai, they are declaring that you cease and desist in your operations of pushing a foreign military force and crimes against humanity.”
“OK, I’ll pass them on,” the council worker replies.
As Mr Varty shuffles his documents trying to find more paperwork to hand over, another member of the group then hands over some more pages.
“This is one basically explains that the Commonwealth of Australia is a private corporation registered at the US Securities Exchange,” he says.
“So that’s for me to pass on as well?” the council worker asks.
The man tells him that the document, which has “confirmation from the parliament”, proves that “law enforcement is not standing correctly under the constitution”.
“What it means is that you all won’t get a pension and you won’t get insurance if something happens,” he says. “What we [here] today about it is to educate you and give you all the information that you need to ask questions to your superiors.”
The council worker accepts them and assures him, “yep, and I’ll pass them all straight on.”
Mr Varty requests the council worker provide him confirmation “on a company letterhead that you’ve received these documents”, but is declined.
Before they leave, the group warns that “ignorance is no longer an option” and that “actually we’re here to help you”.
Canterbury-Bankstown Council has been contacted for comment.
The video sparked widespread mockery from commenters.
“The guy behind the counter did well not to burst out laughing,” one said.
“Wow so well executed. Those papers will certainly be taken seriously,” another wrote.
In another rambling clip, Mr Varty explained the proclamation to his followers.
“These are First Nations documents,” he said.
“They’ve gone through a tribal smoking ceremony. We will be serving these notices on them. They are all about ceasing and desisting corrupt operations. This tyranny that they’ve put on mostly the western [Sydney] people, my lovely Lebanese and all the wonderful Muslims who have been targeted over the years since the lockdown. The council has had way too much overreach and its about time we put them on notice.”
He posted other videos online showing the group making similar scenes at Burwood, Strathfield and Inner West councils.
In March, the members of the same “Nmdaka Dalai” group were locked out of Gympie town hall in Queensland after taking to the local council, court and police station to hand over the documents declaring the area a “demilitarised zone”.
“Thanks everyone, look thanks for this, noted and you have it on camera so we got it all covered,” Gympie Regional Council chief executive Robert Jennings told them.
A press release from Nmdaka Dalai on its website states that “we are the bloodline connection with ancient lore and have proclaimed peace across our entire continent”.
“We the people connected to ancient lore have proclaimed this continent as a demilitarised zone and as such will not tolerate anyone arming themselves with combat weapons, in order to arrest or monetise their activities,” it says.
“There will no longer be any enforcing, detaining, incarceration, arrest, imprisonment, or prosecution via use of weapons on our lands. Peace shall reign. All agents of corporations (such as courts, police, councils, judiciary, persons, military, corrections et al) shall not arm themselves with guns, handcuffs, tasers, ‘sprays’ or like weapons (list not exhaustive) unless authorised by Nmdaka Dalai Tribal Council. All are void ab initio. Anyone continuing to enforce this system will be prosecuted under international law.”
In December, Mr Varty filmed himself arguing with NSW Police after being pulled over for driving with a fake number plate.
Declaring that he did not “consent to this conversation” and refusing to hand over any identification, stating only that his name was “Rocco of the House of Varty”, he maintained that his car was “not a motor vehicle, it’s a property” and his primary residence.
The lengthy argument ended with the officer placing Mr Varty under arrest after he admitted that he sleeps in the back of his car and had “no fixed address”.
“You’re currently under arrest for breaching your bail,” the officer says. “Your bail conditions [are] to stay at that address you just told me. As you just told me then, you haven’t resided there since January this year.”
NSW Police has been contacted for comment.
Last year, a NSW magistrate complained that sovereign citizens, who erroneously believe they are not subject to Australian law, were clogging up courts making “pseudo-legal” arguments challenging often minor charges, leading to cases taking three or four times as long as they usually do.
“You’ll pick up a file, and it might be a parking fine, and there might be 300 pages on it in an envelope,” Mark Douglas told the ABC.