Neo-Nazis, far-right extremism on the rise
Neo-Nazism and other far-right extremist ideologies are a growing threat in Victoria, putting marginalised groups at risk of violence, a new report has found.
JCCV president Daniel Aghion
In the 150-page report tabled in state parliament on Tuesday, the Legal and Social Issues Committee delved into the rise of far-right extremism within Victoria.
Declining mental health, social isolation and economic insecurity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic stoked far-right extremism across the state, according to Victorian Parliament’s Legal and Social Issues Committee.
The Greens-led inquiry tabled its final report on Tuesday.
Other factors such as misinformation, conspiracy theories peddled on social media and the normalisation of anti-immigration rhetoric in mainstream media have put vulnerable people at risk of radicalisation and made them more susceptible to racist narratives.
Multicultural groups, women and LGBTQI members were identified as common targets of far-right extremists.
The Greens-initiated inquiry was prompted by a neo-Nazi gathering in the Grampians in January 2021 and the erection of gallows outsid e parliament as MPs debated pandemic legislation in November.
Far-right extremism refers to people or organisations who promote exclusionary nationalism, oppose democratic principles and processes, and favour authoritarianism
It includes groups who consider violence a legitimate way to achieve ideological goals.
The term “far-right extremism” refers to people or organisations who promote exclusionary nationalism, oppose democratic principles and processes, and favour a uthoritarianism, and includes groups who consider violence as a legitimate way to achieve ideological goals.
It has always existed but re-emerged from about 2015, and then was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said.
“We saw this type of rhetoric being promulgated, particularly during a pandemic as more people were using digital spaces to connect,” she told reporters.
“We saw these movements exploit people’s legitimate fears and anxieties, spreading misinformation, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
“We believe they were being used to exploit and recruit into these movements.”
Among its recommendations, the inquiry called on the state government to develop better social cohesion and community building strategies.
It also called for public funding for research into the links between far-right extremism, family violence and anti-women sentiment to establish counter-extremism measures.
“As someone w ho has been subject to these threats by these groups for many years, it’s a relief to have that threat acknowledged and I hope that these recommendations will be taken up and will lead to greater protections,” Ms Ratnam said.
Committee Chair and Reason Party MP Fiona Patten said the report does not present all the answers to the problem, but it opens the door for conversation on how to tackle it.
The state government has six months to respond in writing to recommendations.
The inquiry was announced in February following a neo-Nazi gathering in the Grampians in January 2021 and the erection of gallows outside parliament as MPs debated pandemic legislation in November.
It also probed the risk the movement poses to Victoria’s multicultural communities, as well as their methods of recruitment and communication.
Liberty Victoria President Michael Stanton warned against sweeping reforms to combat the influence of far-right extremism during public hearings in June.
In her appearance, Swinburne Universi ty researcher Belinda Barnet pushed for the expansion of mainstream social media platform regulations to encrypted apps and a national anti-racism strategy.
In June, Victoria became the first Australian state or territory to pass legislation to ban the intentional public display of the Nazi swastika.
The ban will come into effect in late December following a six-month community education campaign.
Migration Council Australia said the rise of far-right extremism is a global problem.
“Individuals and groups of the far-right exchange ideas, inform theories and build networks and connections across Australia and transnationally,” MCA said.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria’s President Daniel Aghion said: “The JCCV welcomes the Legal and Social Committee report into inquiry extremism in Victoria. The committee has adopted most of the JCCV’s proposals, including emphasising the ongoing importance of anti-racism and Holocaust education. The committee also endorsed the JCCV’s recommendation to improve the collection of hate incident data to better understand the nature of extremism in Victoria. The committee agreed with the JCCV that politicians, community leaders and media should take care to ensure public debate promotes social cohesion and rejects extremist rhetoric.
Importantly, the parliamentary committee noted that antisemitism and Islamophobia are common elements of extremist ideologies and the impacts of antisemitism on the Jewish community, as well as Islamophobia, homophobia and other forms of bigotry, are ‘whole-of-society issues’.
The JCCV thanks the committee for the opportunity to present both a written submission and to appear before MPs in a public hearing. The JCCV looks forward to the Victorian Government’s response to this report, which clearly outlines the threat posed by extremism in Victoria, including to our own Jewish community.”
What of the gross antisemitism from the extreme left and political Islamic sources. A survey of this kind should not be politically correct in its exposure of antisemitism.