Neo-Nazis chant antisemitic slogans outside NSW Parliament

Almost 70 neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network (NSN) rallied outside New South Wales Parliament House on Saturday targeting Jewish groups with hate speech.

Uniformed NSW Police officers observed the rally without intervening. The group dispersed peacefully, and no arrests were made at the scene.

The gathering came about nine months after the state passed new laws criminalising public incitement of racial and religious hatred.

The rally lasted less than 15 minutes. The group displayed a banner reading “Abolish the Jewish Lobby” and chanted “Blood and Honour”, a slogan used by the Hitler Youth and adopted by neo-Nazi movements worldwide. They also made antisemitic, racist speeches. Dressed in black clothing bearing NSN insignia, several members covered their faces with hats and sunglasses.

Premier Chris Minns condemned the protest as “a shocking display of racism, hatred and antisemitism in our beautiful, multicultural city”. He said there had been a breakdown in communication, as the government had not been briefed that a Form 1 protest application had been lodged.

Minns said he grappled with whether to draw attention to the rally and give the neo-Nazis “any more oxygen”, but ultimately decided it was best to call out racism and hatred.

“I want there to be a clear message from the government, political leaders, from civic life, from average NSW residents: we’ve got no interest in neo-Nazis in Sydney and in Australia,” he said.

“As disgusting as it is, it’s not going to stop with the Jewish community. We have seen attacks on the Indian community in NSW, the Islamic community in NSW. It’s all in the title, the White Australia protest, and they are not going to stop unless they are confronted with an overwhelming public sentiment against their hatred.”

The protest also drew outrage from Jewish community leaders and other political figures, who said such hatred must be confronted to prevent its normalisation.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip said it was tempting to ignore the vile display but warned that “evil left unconfronted becomes evil that is normalised”.

He added, “The chilling images and despicable words of hate uttered today should never find a home or be accepted in our society, especially outside the heart of our democracy.” Ossip welcomed the NSW Government and NSW Police’s review of how the rally was approved and called for an assessment of whether any laws had been broken.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin wrote on X that conspiracy theories about Jewish control of politics were “more prevalent now than at any time in the past 80 years” and common across extremist ideologies from the far left to the far right.

“Neo-Nazis are adept at identifying the grievances and prejudices that are taking hold in a society and manipulating this for their evil purposes,” he said.

“To defeat this, our law enforcement and security agencies need the right legislative tools to monitor and disrupt violent extremists and to prevent them from menacing or physically harming peaceful Australians. But the single most important thing we must do is to restore decency, civility and basic rationalism to our country, which would instantly remove any appeal of movements founded in pathetic ideas of overthrowing democracy and racial hierarchies.”

The NSN, a neo-Nazi group based in Victoria, has been linked to previous far-right activities and anti-immigration rallies. The group is reportedly rebranding as “White Australia” and planning political activity.

The rally took place after the passage of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Racial and Religious Hatred) Bill 2025 and related legislation, which strengthened existing laws against public acts intended to incite hatred or serious contempt based on race, religion, or other protected attributes. The reforms include fines and prison penalties for serious offences.

NSW Police later confirmed that the rally had been approved through a formal Form 1 application process submitted by a group calling itself “White Australia”. The application, lodged in late October, was authorised under the state’s protest laws, which require organisers to give at least seven days’ notice. However, senior government figures, including the Premier and Police Minister, were not briefed on the approval in advance. Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described the situation as a “breakdown in communication”, prompting an internal review into how the authorisation was granted and whether any conditions were breached.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson confirmed the group is being monitored. “We don’t see the issues here in New South Wales like they do in Victoria, where the group emanated, but we are certainly mindful of them and monitor them,” he said.

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman called the rally “appalling” and said it was unacceptable for such a display to occur outside the state’s Parliament. Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane urged authorities to test the new laws, saying those responsible should face charges.

Federal Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, posted on X: “The neo-Nazi demonstration today is appalling. This group is seeking to spread vile hatred against Jewish people and undermine our great Australian multiculturalism. Their use of a Hitler Youth slogan is chilling.”

NSW Police have launched an internal review into how the rally was approved and whether any offences were committed under the new legislation.