New Zealand-born Australian neo-Nazi activist Thomas Sewell has been arrested outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, days after his group was accused of attacking an Indigenous protest camp in the city.
Police confirmed that Sewell and two supporters were taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon, as about 25 officers monitored the court precinct. Another senior figure in the National Socialist Network, Nathan Bull, was among those arrested.
The arrests come after members of the NSN stormed Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne’s King’s Domain on Sunday. Organisers of the Aboriginal-led encampment said men dressed in black destroyed property, trampled a sacred fire, and assaulted people at the site, leaving four injured. Ambulance Victoria confirmed a woman in her 30s was taken to hospital.
Sewell’s court appearance this week was already drawing attention. He is facing multiple charges, including intimidating a law enforcement officer in October 2023, contravening two intervention orders taken out by the officer and a family member, and allegedly directing others to publish content about the protected individuals online. The court also heard that he had shared a video of one of the alleged victims on X in 2024.
Earlier in the day, Sewell had attempted to claim momentum from the “March for Australia” rallies by gatecrashing a press conference held by Premier Jacinta Allan. Shouting over police, he declared: “Why don’t Australians have the right to protest? Why do you want to ban us for protesting? Shouldn’t we have the right to speak in our own country?” He called the Premier a “coward” before boasting: “I had 500 people come up to me and shake my hands on the weekend, and there was 50,000 of us.” Independent observers put Sunday’s Melbourne turnout in the hundreds, not tens of thousands.
The events reflect a volatile moment in Australian politics, where debates over migration and housing have intersected with the activities of extremist groups. Sewell’s arrest points to both his rising visibility on the fringes and the readiness of authorities to act as tensions grow.
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