Thomas Sewell, a neo-Nazi leader, was charged with violent disorder and other offences after an alleged attack on indigenous activists in Melbourne. Photo / Getty Images
Thomas Sewell, a neo-Nazi leader, was charged with violent disorder and other offences after an alleged attack on indigenous activists in Melbourne. Photo / Getty Images
It is unlikely Melbourne neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell could be deported to his native New Zealand despite a petition gaining more than 60,000 signatures.
News.com.au understands Sewell, a leader of the National Socialist Network, holds Australian citizenship after moving across the ditch as a child.
The 32-year-old was charged on Tuesdaywith violent disorder, affray, assault by kicking, discharge a missile and other offences after an alleged attack on indigenous activists in King’s Domain on Sunday.
Sewell was allegedly among a group of black-clad men who stormed Camp Sovereignty soon after he addressed the crowd at Melbourne’s March for Australia anti-immigration rally.
A petition with over 60,000 signatures calls for Sewell's deportation, but his Australian citizenship makes this unlikely. Photo / Getty Images
He has not entered any pleas and was remanded in custody to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The Balwyn man’s arrest came after he crashed Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s press conference on Tuesday morning as he was en route to court for unrelated matters.
A change.org petition was created on Monday calling for Sewell, a former Australian Defence Force member, to be deported from the country.
The petition was turbo-charged by the widespread media coverage on Sewell over the past two days, with its organiser noting 42,500 people had signed in the 32 hours to last night.
Petition organisers have called for reforms to the Australian Citizenship Act to allow courts to revoke citizenship for “serious post-citizenship” offences.
They said the current laws made it “nearly impossible to revoke citizenship from violent extremists even when they hold dual nationality and pose a clear threat to public safety”.
“The law protects citizenship as a near-untouchable status, even in cases of hate-fuelled violence, racial intimidation and ideological extremism,” organiser Constitutional Reformist wrote.
Petition organisers seek reforms to revoke citizenship for serious post-citizenship offences, highlighting challenges with current laws. Photo / @aborlandfan88 via X
“Reform is not just possible, it’s essential.”
In a statement, they said the “wave of support” the petition has attracted showed “my people are not alone”.
“There are tens of thousands who stand beside us, who believe in justice, and who are willing to act.”
Immigration Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday Sewell “clearly hates modern Australia”.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he renounces his citizenship here anyway,” he said.
High Court decisions in 2022 and 2023, including one that upheld the citizenship of terrorist Abdul Benbrika, found a minister cannot revoke citizenship for post-citizenship conduct.
Under the Act, Australian citizenship may only be considered in limited circumstances when a person has acquired citizenship via application.
Those include making a false statement as part of the application, failing to disclose a serious crime committed before becoming a citizen or if citizenship was acquired as a result of third party fraud.
On Tuesday morning, Sewell called Allan a “coward” and shouted “Heil Australia” during a press conference in West Melbourne.
“When people like me take power, these people are going to be punished for the crimes they have committed against Australia,” he said.
The Premier later said it was “a badge of honour” that Nazi “goons” oppose “me and my government”.
Sewell had been appearing in court this week facing a hearing on charges of intimidating a police officer, and breaching a personal safety intervention order.
He was arrested outside the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon in front of news cameras over the King’s Domain incident.
Two other men, aged 23 and 20, were also arrested over the same incident and will front court on September 10.
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