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Indigenous groups and politicians have condemned a violent neo-Nazi attack on a First Nations protest camp in Melbourne.
Camp Sovereignty, located at King’s Domain, was attacked shortly after the “March for Australia” rally in Melbourne’s CBD, an anti-immigration event attended by racist and far-right groups opposed to migration and multiculturalism.
Videos posted to social media show men dressed in black storming the Melbourne site, shouting abuse, stomping on a sacred fire and an Aboriginal flag, and physically assaulting those present.
Camp Sovereignty and the Black Peoples Union said the attackers arrived carrying pipes, poles, and branches, and appeared to target women in an assault described as unprovoked, leaving four people injured.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed a woman in her 30s was taken to hospital with upper body injuries.
Neo-Nazi figure Thomas Sewell was among those involved.
The First People’s Assembly condemned the attack.
“The Assembly stands firmly with Camp Sovereignty and to those in the streets of the CBD, who continue to hold space for culture, truth and justice,” they said in a statement.
“Our sovereignty is strong, and our collective vision for a better future remains unchanged.”
First Peoples Victoria also condemned the attack, describing it as a “targeted act of violence against First Nations people exercising their rights to protest and hold cultural space.”
The organisation called for a thorough investigation and said all levels of government must ensure the safety of Aboriginal communities in public spaces.
Victoria Police confirmed the attack is under investigation.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines told ABC Melbourne Radio the incident was “gutless, and it needs to be called out.”
“This is people intimidating and bringing violence, and we won’t stand for it. We’ll hold them to account,” Minister Carbines added.
Senator Lidia Thorpe called for federal involvement, describing the attack as a “neo-Nazi hate crime against Aboriginal people in this country.”
She said on X that there must be a full investigation by the Australian Federal Police and “strong action… against these thugs.”
No arrests were made at Camp Sovereignty itself, though six people were arrested across Melbourne during the “March for Australia” protests.
The investigation is ongoing. Police are urging anyone with information or footage to contact Crime Stoppers.
Similar marches were held in other cities across the country on Sunday, with thousands marching through Brisbane.
Video footage from the event shows Uncle Wayne Wharton, Kooma Elder and activist, addressing some protesters.
“You invaded this country, you stole the land,” he said.
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