Sydney: Chris Minns, the premier of Australia's southeastern state of New South Wales, on Saturday condemned a neo-Nazi rally in Sydney, calling for increased police powers to prevent similar gatherings in the future. Nearly 60 members of the neo-Nazi group, dressed in black, assembled outside the NSW Parliament on Saturday morning.
According to Anadolu Agency, in a press conference later on Saturday, Minns called out the "deploring, disgusting behavior on Sydney streets," describing the rally as 'absolutely shameful.' He emphasized the potential for escalating racism, stating, "If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. Does anyone believe that after dipping their toe into racism in Sydney, they're going to stop here?"
Minns highlighted the spread of racism within the community, noting that it extends beyond the Jewish community to include attacks on the Indian and Islamic communities in New South Wales. He proposed granting police greater authority to prevent such demonstrations in the future. "It's likely the case that we need to give police more legislated powers to stop this kind of naked hatred and racism on Sydney streets," he added.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon appeared alongside Minns, explaining that a 'breakdown in communication' led to the police authorizing the protest. He clarified that it was approved because no illegal or violent activity was anticipated. Under NSW law, police cannot ban a protest but may deny authorization if they believe it threatens public or attendee safety.
The rally occurred despite new laws in NSW, effective since August, making it illegal to incite hatred based on someone's race in public. Separately, Max Kaiser, the executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, condemned "the antisemitic stunt held today" while cautioning against granting additional powers to the police. "The hate these fascists feel for Jews is the same hate they show for First Nations Australians, Muslims, queer people, and many others," he stated. Kaiser advocated for united action to combat the far-right and address the racism it fosters across society.