Adelaide Survival Day: with the masses and against the masses.

 Written by: Nick G. on 28 January 2025

 

The Adelaide Survival Day march was a resounding success.

This was despite an attempt by SA Labor Premier to dismiss discussion of the appropriateness of January 26 as “Australia Day” as “becoming ‘tired’, and that Australians should have a chance ‘to reflect on how lucky we are to live here’”.

Prominent Survival Day organsier Natasha Wanganeen said on Facebook that the Premier “has now targeted our event. He didn't have to talk on survival day, he gave the trolls a target & its us. Putrid behaviour from a so called leader.”

Several thousand people rallied to commemorate Survival Day and marched through the city.

In contrast, a tiny group of Nazis marched to the War Memorial on North Terrace, chanting “Australia for the white man!”

Between thirty to forty of the fascists desecrated the steps of the Memorial which includes commemoration of Australians who died during the War Against Fascism.

Their organisation, the National Socialist Network, only has a handful of members in SA. To try and disguise this, Nazis were flown in from other states. Perhaps the Australian Federal Police might be interested in who the group is funded by, including US and European fascist organisations.

Police told the group to disperse and then arrested 16, including notorious Victorian Nazi Brad Sewell.

The arrested included a 16-year old Melbourne boy who has been bailed to appear at the Adelaide Youth Court on March 21.

Of the other 15, only one was from SA, 3 were from NSW, 4 were from Victoria, 3 were from WA, with one each from Tasmania and Queensland.  A further two from interstate were yet to provide addresses.

Eight of those arrested were charged with fail to cease loitering, and seven with possession of an article of disguise. Two were charged with possession of Nazi symbols.

The loitering charge carries a maximum penalty of $1 250 or imprisonment for 3 months; the disguise charge a maximum of $2 500 or imprisonment for 6 months; and the Nazi symbols charge a maximum of $20,000 or imprisonment for 12 months.

Of these three charges, only one is overtly political and directed at Nazis.  The other two reflect the inadequacies of bourgeois law in protecting the community against fascists. They are civil charges under the Summary Offences Act. Loitering is an excuse for punishing the poor and marginalised; disguise is in a section dealing with house-breaking. Both can be applied against progressive political action.

It was a marked contrast: a handful of racists completely divorced from popular support, and thousands of people determined to oppose racism and the ideology that excuses and supports colonial aggression and genocide.

In the final analysis, the people must rely on their own strength to keep Nazis off the streets.