’Not welcome’: Neo-Nazi’s came by bus from Victoria as Premier Chris Minns threatens to unmask them

More than half of the neo-Nazis stalking Sydney streets over the Australia Day weekend came from interstate, with most jumping on a bus from Victoria. It comes as the NSW Premier threatened to unmask them.

More than half the neo-Nazis stalking the streets of Sydney are blow-ins from Victoria with 60 per cent coming from interstate.

Police have identified 66 individuals who took part in the neo-Nazi demonstrations over the Australia Day weekend, yet only 16 lived in Sydney and 11 in regional NSW.

It is understood 24 men travelled from Victoria on a hired bus to disrupt the Australia Day celebrations and jumped back on the bus to return home on Sunday evening. Another five came from Queensland, six from South Australia and four from Tasmania.

Premier Chris Minns said the group was not welcome in the state.

A sighting of the black-clad group, believed to be neo-Nazis, gathered in Artarmon Reserve on Sunday morning, two days after a group of masked men was detained by police on a train and warned not to enter Sydney’s CBD.

“If you come back to NSW you will again face NSW Police, protecting our tolerant and multicultural community,” he said.

At least 30 masked men dressed in black assembled at Artarmon Reserve on Sunday morning prompting police to disband the group by around 10.30am.

The Premier vowed to expose the identities of the neo-Nazis after the group masked themselves on city streets.

Mr Minns said police would physically remove masks worn by the neo-Nazis so they could no longer hide their identities.

“If you are attempting to menace people on NSW streets in an anonymous way, the police have the ability to unmask you,” he said on Sunday morning

Social media post records the sightings of Neo Nazis gathered in Artarmon Reserve this morning.

A member of the group on Friday. Picture: Tom Parrish

BREAKING LIVE: Them North Shore Neo Nazis are gathering at Artarmon Reserve right atm. With about a dozen police watching pic.twitter.com/odXJzyzHtb

— Finnigans (@Thefinnigans) January 27, 2024

Neo-nazis are apparently gathering again in an Artarmon reserve. 😲 #auspolpic.twitter.com/Qp2R5b0kpl

— Denise Shrivell (@deniseshrivell) January 27, 2024

“In front of your family, your friends, your employers, your co-workers you will be exposed as a massive racist.

“Many people are going to be exposed from their previous anonymity for the very first time.”

The Premier described the group as “nauseating”, “absurd and pathetic”.

NSW Police said the group were served with an extended public safety order, further preventing them from congregating around Sydney city and North Sydney.

It is understood many of the members had opted to wear surgical masks instead of balaclavas to hide their faces.

Police swarmed on Australia Day to intercept the group before it could reach the CBD.

Police said the gathering was contained and there had been no arrests.

It’s the third day the black-clad group have assembled in Sydney after a group of at least 60 men boarded a Sydney train on Australia Day wearing balaclavas and carrying a banner referencing a neo-Nazi group.

Another 40 people, believed to be members of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network, were seen in North Turramurra on Saturday.

Mr Minns has said he would consider banning the Nazi salute in NSW and reiterated his desire to change the state’s anti-vilification laws.

“We are looking at the laws and examining them to make sure that overt Nazi gestures and symbols are outlawed,” he said.

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Originally published as ’Not welcome’: Neo-Nazi’s came by bus from Victoria as Premier Chris Minns threatens to unmask them