Residents of Wollongong have expressed shock and anger after discovering neo-Nazi propaganda material in their letterboxes this week. The offensive flyers, promoting a so-called "White Australia" movement, have been distributed in suburbs including Albion Park and North Wollongong.
Community Leaders Condemn 'Hateful Filth'
Jeremy Lasek, a Wollongong local and former head of communications for the Australian Federal Police, was among those who spoke out forcefully against the material. He described his neighbour's distress upon finding one of the flyers.
"It just beggars belief that in this day and age, people believe this is the Australia they want to see," Mr Lasek said. He expressed disgust that individuals were "probably in the dark of night, wearing masks and hoodies" to spread hatred.
Mr Lasek has a personal connection to the fight against Nazism, revealing that his father fought against the Nazis in the Polish resistance during the 1940s. "I just can't believe that in modern Australia, here in 2025, nearly 2026, we see something my dad fought, put his life on the line [against]," he stated.
Flyers Linked to Known Extremist Network
The material has been produced by the Australian National Socialist Network, a neo-Nazi group whose visibility has increased over the past year. The flyers bear the insignia of an organisation called 'White Australia', which extremists are attempting to organise into a political party.
The content, which the Illawarra Mercury has chosen not to publish, claims Australia was "built as a white working man's paradise" and pushes a white supremacist message opposing immigration and multiculturalism. The flyers also reference a website featuring videos of Thomas Sewell, a known Australian neo-Nazi currently on bail for charges relating to an alleged attack on a Melbourne Indigenous activists' camp in August.
This is not the first incident of its kind in the region. In October 2023, police investigated after several neo-Nazi posters were found in and around the University of Wollongong. Similar flyer distributions have also been reported recently in Newcastle and the ACT suburb of Greenway.
Attempt to Exploit National Tragedy
Mr Lasek, who spent a decade on the National Counter Terrorism Public Information Committee, suggested the group was trying to "piggyback" on the recent Bondi terror attack, where gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish community Hanukkah celebration.
He pointedly contrasted the actions of the neo-Nazis with the heroism shown during that attack. "It wasn't one of these white supremacists who wrestled a gun from a lunatic terrorist a few weeks ago at Bondi. It was a Muslim man," he said. "Where were these Nazis? Probably cowering away under their hoodies."
Local condemnation has been swift, with many residents taking to social media to express their disgust. The distribution of such material highlights ongoing concerns about the spread of extremist ideologies within Australian communities and the need for continued vigilance against hate speech.
