Disturbing footage captured the moment a neo-Nazi leader and far-right demonstrators ambushed a First Nations protest camp over the weekend.
Between 20 and 30 men dressed in black clashed with demonstrators at the self-styled Camp Sovereignty at King’s Domain in Melbourne at 5pm on Sunday.
The footage showed several men verbally abusing those gathered at the makeshift camp, while some stomped on an Aboriginal flag.
Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell, who is a member of the National Socialist Network, was seen among the group of men gatecrashing the camp.
Members of the group were heard chanting: ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi.’
‘Please just leave,’ a woman yelled.
‘Stop fighting… stop fighting, please.’
A Victoria Police spokesman said members of Camp Sovereignty were attacked with ‘sticks and flagpoles’.
Footage shows a group of neo-Nazis storming a First Nations protest group, Camp Sovereignty, at King’s Domain in Melbourne
Violent scenes broke out at the clash at the Aboriginal protest camp on Sunday (pictured, Thomas Sewell is circled on the right)
Camp Sovereignty organisers said four people were injured in the incident.
Ambulance Victoria told the ABC a woman aged in her 30s was taken to hospital with upper body injuries.
The Victorian government has condemned the attack, which came after the violent March for Australia rally in the CBD.
Police minister Anthony Carbines branded the incident ‘disgraceful’.
‘Nobody’s going to stand for that. People went there with an intent to cause trouble, police dealt with them, and we’ll continue to call that out,’ he stated.
‘Police will be investigating those matters and will also be in touch with members of Camp Sovereignty, as well as other First Nations people who are deeply upset and distressed by the events that occurred yesterday.’
Camp Sovereignty organisers said the attack was unprovoked.
‘They came armed with poles to attack a group of predominantly women at a peace camp,’ noted Keiran Stewart-Assheton, an organiser of the camp and founder of the Black People’s Union.
The far-right demonstrators were dressed in all black as they ambushed the camp
Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell (pictured), who is affiliated with the National Socialist Network, was spotted among the group of men disrupting the First Nations camp.
Camp Sovereignty shared a statement from an unidentified woman who said she was attacked.
‘I had what looked like a 15-year-old boy rip my hair, throw me to the ground and smash into my face with his fists,’ the witness said.
‘He did it with a smile on his face. I couldn’t believe it.’
Thousands of Australians took part in anti-immigration rallies in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Melbourne on Sunday.
Police said six protesters were arrested and officers were injured following clashes in Melbourne with counter-protesters.
Three people were arrested in Adelaide as 15,000 attended the rally, while in Brisbane police estimated around 6,000 protestors were in attendance.
One man was arrested and charged with two counts of assaulting police, and another man was detained for breach of the peace.
No arrests were made in Sydney or Hobart.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the protests as seeking ‘to divide and undermine’ social cohesion.
