Thousands of Australians are demanding the deportation of New Zealand-born neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell, who is facing fresh criminal charges after a series of violent incidents in Victoria, RNZ reported
According to a report by RNZ, Sewell, who heads an Australian white supremacist group, appeared in court on Tuesday, charged with intimidating a police officer and breaching an intervention order dating back to 2024. His court appearance came just days after he allegedly led an attack on a First Nations protest camp in Melbourne.
Police said Sewell was arrested on Tuesday and is being questioned over Sunday’s violence, in which around 40 men dressed in black, some carrying flagpoles and sticks, stormed the Camp Sovereignty protest site. Organisers reported four injuries, with two people requiring overnight hospital care, reported RNZ.
Camp founder Robbie Thorpe described the incident as a targeted assault following an anti-immigration rally.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned Sewell’s actions, calling them “quite horrific.” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan also confirmed she had been confronted by neo-Nazis at a press conference earlier in the week, describing the experience as “shocking.”
Meanwhile, a petition calling for Sewell’s deportation to New Zealand has gathered more than 50,000 signatures. Federal MP Josh Burns said the growing presence of neo-Nazis on Victorian streets and political events was “cowardly” and “unacceptable,” RNZ reported.
Under Australian deportation laws, Sewell could be expelled to New Zealand once his criminal proceedings are concluded.
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