Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has spoken out after prominent neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell crashed her press conference in Melbourne this morning, just days after he prominently joined Sunday’s anti-immigration march.
Allan was with Treasure Jaclyn Symes in North Melbourne when Sewell arrived.
“Why don’t Australians have the right to protest?” Sewell could be heard saying.
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“Why do you want to ban us from protesting? Shouldn’t we have the right to speak in our own country?”
Sewell was held back by security as Allan and Symes quickly left.
Sewell was heard telling security, “You don’t have the right to put your hands on me”.
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“We’re going to take this country back from politicians like you,” he said to Allan.
Sewell left the scene after Allan, walking away on foot.
“Victoria Police is aware of an incident at a media stand-up in North Melbourne this morning where a man attended and was verbally abusive towards the premier,” a police spokesperson said.
“The premier’s security team intervened to ensure the safety of everyone present and the man left shortly after.”
Allan also issued a statement, saying she was “unharmed and undeterred”.
She said it was a “badge of honour” to earn the ire of Nazis.
“But this isn’t about me. It’s about all the other people in the community who Nazis target – like multicultural people, LGBTIQA+ people, First Peoples, and Jews,” she said in the written statement.
“They’re the Victorians who are on my mind right now, and they’re the Victorians who our anti-hate laws will protect when they come into force later this month.”
The new legislation will strengthen Victoria’s existing vilification laws, and make it a criminal offence to incite hate or threaten harm based on a protected attribute.
“We know how these goons operate. They whip up fear to divide our society. They will fail,” Allan said of Sewell.
“Because Victorians are fair, and our values are strong.”
The New Zealand-born white nationalist figure recently made a speech to the crowd at the anti-immigration March For Australia rally in Melbourne on Sunday.
In his tirade at the press conference, Sewell also incorrectly claimed 50,000 people attended that rally.
On Sunday, he was also seen in a crowd that allegedly attacked an Indigenous encampment, Camp Sovereignty, after splitting off from the main rally.
Police are investigating the incident, which Police Minister Andrew Carbines labelled “gutless”.
