Female NSW MPs Allegra Spender and Kellie Sloane report death and rape threats after condemning neo-Nazi rally in Sydney

Two female MPs have reported the threats they received following their condemnation of Saturday’s neo-Nazi rally outside New South Wales parliament to the police, as the premier rejected any suggestion there was a “double standard” in how the far right is dealt with compared with pro-Palestine activism. The alleged threats against federal MP Allegra Spender and state MP Kellie Sloane, which included death threats and calls to “rhetorically rape” the federal MP, came after both took to social media to condemn Saturday’s rally, in which about 60 men held a banner calling for the abolition of the “Jewish lobby”, with speakers repeating antisemitic tropes. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, again fronted the media on Monday, but were unable to answer questions about where responsibility lay for the decision to allow the rally to go ahead. Lanyon said an “internal communication error” had led to the protest proceeding. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The premier also rejected the claim by pro-Palestine activists that the authorisation showed a “double standard” in NSW police’s approach to protests. Related: NSW police accused of ‘sickening’ double standard over neo-Nazi rally as Jewish groups demand answers Speaking on ABC radio on Monday morning, Sloane, the NSW shadow health minister and member for Vaucluse, said she received dozens of “pretty hateful” messages on X on Sunday. Some of the messages – which Guardian Australia understands included death threats - were “concerning enough to forward to police”, she said. Sloane has since deactivated her account. In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Sloane said she would “not be intimidated by this group or by people who support them.” “I will not be bullied out of saying what I think, and I will stand up for people in my community and for the broader community of Sydney who don’t like hate.” In a statement on Monday, Spender, who condemned the rally on X on Saturday as “appalling” and “seeking to spread vile hatred against Jewish people”, confirmed a threat had been referred to the police. The threat, posted in the neo-Nazi group’s Telegram channel, allegedly read: “Patriots – I bid thee to rhetorically rape Allegra Spender.” “This is an extremely tiny group of extremist thugs who represent no one,” said Spender. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police confirmed it had received a report of crime in relation to threats made towards a federal MP. NSW police has been contacted for comment. Asked about the threats allegedly received by Sloane and Spender, Minns told reporters on Monday they were “another example of what particularly women in public life have to put up with.” “My hat’s off to both of them, the fact that they’re prepared to stand up, put their views, put their beliefs for civic life in New South Wales.” Saturday’s event followed a rally by the same group outside parliament in June, which was authorised by police. The permit was lodged under “White Australia” and related to “current immigration levels and the cost of living crisis”. Asked how high up the chain of police command a form 1 application for Saturday’s rally had reached, Minns said he didn’t know. “Obviously I take the commissioner at his word and [police minister Yasmin Catley] at her word that they weren’t aware of it. I know I wasn’t part of the review,” he said. Related: Police need more powers to stop ‘naked racism and hatred’ after allowing Sydney neo-Nazi rally, premier says Speaking on ABC Radio, Lanyon said NSW police had received a form 1 application for the rally on 28 October, but it wasn’t raised directly with him. Lanyon said police had sought legal advice regarding the banner that was to be used by the group. “We were told that there was no reasonable prospect of prosecuting on that, and the actual form 1 doesn’t disclose anything that would be a criminal offence or something that would cause us an issue with public safety.” The application was approved after police not to oppose it within seven days. Minns said the government was investigating whether a ban on Nazi symbols, could be expanded to include “Nazi speech, Nazi behaviours on Sydney Streets”. He said the government was also seeking to “clarify and codify” to make sure an approved form 1 protest application does not give protesters a “free pass” when it comes to hate speech laws. Saturday’s rally came after controversial new laws, making it a crime to intentionally incite hatred against people because of their race, nationality or ethno-religious background, only came into effect in August. Sloane said the laws should have been tested by the rally: “There is a credible argument, I believe, for the fact that this was incitement to hatred.” “You can’t look at a single banner or a single thing. You need to look at it in totality,” she said. It followed another rally allowed to go ahead in June by the same group, which held “a political ideology of white Australia”, NSW police confirmed at a subsequent parliamentary inquiry. Minns denied the approach showed a “double standard”, following public government and police opposition to pro-Palestine rallies on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. “That would only be the case if anyone were willing to reject the fact that police have not only granted but worked with Palestine Action Group organisers for hundreds and hundreds of rallies in Sydney,” he said. Speaking to ABC radio on Monday, Spender said allowing the neo-Nazi rally to go ahead was a “complete stuff up”. “I think it’s very unclear so far from the NSW government and also the NSW police really what should have happened instead of what actually did happen.”