Indigenous artist Scott Rathman confronts racist neo-Nazi propaganda

As racist propaganda including stickers reportedly calling SA‘s alleged neo-Nazi leader a ‘political prisoner’ pop up his neighbourhood an indigenous artist is making a stand.

As pro-neo-Nazi propaganda started popping up in his neighbourhood, indigenous artist Scott Rathman realised either he had to do something about it or racism would be allowed to fester.

The Semaphore local first noticed National Socialist Network stickers being stuck on poles and signs when on a walk near his home and reached a tipping point when he saw them near schools and in diverse communities.

“I just thought ‘what can I do’ in a way to make a statement but also say to these young people there’s plenty of people around here who are anti-racist,” Mr Rathman said.

“Racism is like a virus in that it’s something that spreads – it’s an issue that it’s too often forgotten about or not spoken about.

“For me growing up and being of Aboriginal background, I’ve experienced racism in school, the community and the workplace – we need to do a lot more to address it.”

Mr Rathman said just removing the stickers had the potential to allow their message to spread unaddressed.

Indigenous artist Scott Rathman. Picture: AAP / Roy VanDerVegt

One of the stickers Scott Rathman, Contemporary Aboriginal artist, created to combat the NSN propaganda. Picture: Supplied

He was not the first to notice them, however, with fellow Semaphore man Robert Stainsbury so incensed by the stickers he took to ripping them off on two occasions in the past six months.

Mr Stainsbury said he too had noticed the signs nears schools in what he said appeared to be a “disgusting” way of “targeting school kids with hateful ideas”.

He said he had noticed NSN propaganda with slogans like “Australia for the white man” and about recently exposed alleged SA neo-Nazi leader Cameron Brodie-Hall – a baby-faced Mansfield Park plumber.

Police allege Mr Brodie-Hall, a 20-year-old Woodville High graduate, educated members of the SA arm of the NSN – including men twice his age – in its far-right ideology and organised both its propaganda and public demonstrations.

Mr Stainsbury said one of the stickers claimed Mr Brodie-Hall was a “political prisoner”.

An NSN sticker placed on a light pole at Semaphore (picture has been censored). Picture: Supplied

An NSN sticker placed at Semaphore (picture has been censored). Picture: Supplied

A City of Port Adelaide Enfield spokesman said the council had been made aware of the signs and were “removing them as soon as they are reported”.

He said they had also reported them to SA Police due to their “offensive nature”.

A SA Police spokesperson said the Western District had not received any police reports for the stickers.

The appearance of the stickers came days after the accusations were levelled at Mr Brodie-Hall and co-accused Justin Bassett and Patrick Patmore respectively pleaded guilty to possessing extremist materials – a video of the Christchurch massacre – and manufacturing an explosive device.

Mr Brodie-Hall, Bassett and Patmore were not known to be linked to the emergence of the stickers.

Dozens of the stickers also emerged late last year after an Adelaide Freedom Rally and were condemned by the rally organiser.