NSW Police have halted another neo-Nazi gathering in Sydney on Saturday, just hours after Premier Chris Minns vowed to crack down on right-wing extremists.
A day after police stopped a group of men wearing black clothing and balaclavas associated with the National Socialist Network on a train at North Sydney Station, police again broke up a meeting of the far-right group at North Turramurra on Saturday evening.
The group’s leader Thomas Sewell was given a public safety order extension, banning him from several parts of Sydney until midnight on Sunday.
“Police have served a 31-year-old man with a Public Safety Order extension, prohibiting him from entering a number of local government areas in Sydney until midnight (on Sunday),” NSW Police said in a statement.
“The order extension was served (on Saturday) evening at North Turramurra.”
Police descended on North Turramurra on Saturday night where dozens of members of the neo-Nazi group were meeting.
It came a day after police stormed North Sydney train station on Australia Day following reports a group of about 60 men were boarding a train into the city wearing balaclavas and all-black outfits.
The men are affiliated with the National Socialist Network, which is led by convicted criminal Thomas Sewell.
Police arrested six members of the group on Friday morning and issued 61 infringement notices for offensive behaviour. Two members have since been released without charge.
NSW Premier Chris Minns strongly denounced the act, and said he would be open to strengthening laws against “White Power salutes”.
He said officers were able to slow down the trains between Artarmon – where the group boarded – and North Sydney, in order to allow officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad, and the North Sydney Command to intercept the group.
“This menace was stopped before a very ugly confrontation on Sydney’s streets. There is no place for this kind of fascism, neo-Nazism, or far-right extremism on this great day, Australia Day,” he told reporters.
“The vast, vast majority of people that live in (this) state would completely reject any notion or idea that this group of far right extremist and neo-Nazis are needed on our national day.”
Prior to the incident, the group had been issued a public safety order by NSW Police to stay away from Australia Day events.
Mr Minns said that the behaviour was not welcome in NSW, and anyone who was “attempting to reconvene and do this again,” would be met with “overwhelming force from the NSW Police”.
“No normal person wears a balaclava, let alone on Australia Day on the public transport system,” he said.
“If it wasn’t so menacing, it would be completely ridiculous”.
It follows the NSW government’s recent announcement that it will be conducting a review into section 93Z of the Crimes Act, which legislates laws against publicly threatening or inciting violence against someone based on the grounds of race, or religious belief or affiliation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday joined in the condemnation of the group’s behaviour.
He said he was “horrified” by the images.
“I don’t want to see people in balaclavas, dressed in black from head to toe, who are engaged in neo-Nazi activity in this country,” he said.
“It has no place and it has rightly been condemned by all decent people”.