BY CALLUM GODDE, EMILY WOODS & KAT WONG for AAP
Self-confessed white nationalist Thomas Sewell has been arrested after he and his followers attacked an Aboriginal protest site.
A large group of officers arrested Sewell outside Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon, along with supporter Nathan Bull.
Sewell was among a group of men dressed in black who stormed Camp Sovereignty in King’s Domain on Sunday afternoon following the March for Australia rally in Melbourne’s CBD.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell confronts Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan at a press conference. VIDEO: Callum Godde/AAP.
Footage showed Sewell and Bull lashing out at people gathered at the camp, the site of remains of Indigenous people from 38 clans.
Victoria Police has been contacted about the nature of the arrests.
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the attack on Camp Sovereignty was like nothing she had seen in her nearly 10-year parliamentary career.
“These people brazenly and openly did not care if they were seen,” she said.
Sewell had been fronting court on Tuesday for a separate hearing over charges of intimidating police and breaching multiple personal intervention orders.
He spent the morning cross-examining a witness, as he represented himself.
Three supporters were seated behind him, including Bull and fellow associate Jacob Hersant.
Sewell asked the witness questions about the rights of protesting groups, including neo-Nazis, and whether it was a conflict of interest for police to investigate themselves.
He returned to the courtroom after the lunch break, at about 2.15pm, when prosecutor Melissa Mahady asked the magistrate to close the courtroom to the media and members of the public.
“The order is necessary to protect the safety of any person,” she told the court.
The court did not resume after that time.
Earlier, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was speaking to journalists in Melbourne to spruik her government’s work-from-home policy when Sewell interrupted.
Flanked by Bull, Sewell began yelling at Ms Allan over her stance on the right to protest.
Several men stepped in to keep Sewell away from the premier as she, Treasurer Jaclyn Symes and upper house Labor MP Sheena Watt walked away.
“Shouldn’t people have the right to speak in their own country, you coward … you’re a coward and we’re going to take this country back from politicians like you,” Sewell shouted.
Ms Allan, in December, announced legislation to ban protests outside places of worship and demonstrators wearing face coverings after Sewell led a series of marches with masked black-clad men.
The reforms are yet to be introduced to the state parliament and may be scaled back.
Tuesday’s confrontation lasted less than a minute, cutting short the media conference.
Sewell ended Tuesday’s tirade with “Heil Australia” and told journalists the interaction was a “coincidence”.
“We’re on our way to court right now,” he said.In a statement, the premier confirmed she was “unharmed and undeterred” and said it was no surprise Nazis opposed her and the Labor state government.
“We know how these goons operate,” she said.
“They whip up fear to divide our society. They will fail.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled the confrontation “quite horrific” when speaking to Labor caucus in Canberra.
“I have been talking about these issues with the Victorian premier,” he said.
Journalists were asking the premier about Sunday’s “March for Australia” in Melbourne, at which Sewell was controversially allowed to speak.
Ms Allan revealed she was convening the government’s anti-hate task force for a meeting this week in response to the nationwide anti-immigration rallies.
