Man arrested in Sydney for alleged harassment of federal MP over neo-Nazi criticism

A 30-year-old man has been arrested and charged by Australian police after allegedly harassing a politician who condemned a neo-Nazi protest outside the New South Wales parliament. The Australian federal police arrested the man in the Sydney suburb of Bondi and allege he sent a “menacing message” that encouraged abusive and hateful messages to be directed towards a federal politician as a result of the condemnation In a statement, an AFP spokesperson said members of a national security investigations unit seized the 30-year-old man’s electronic devices on Friday. He was subsequently charged with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence. “The message allegedly encouraged abusive and hateful messages to be directed towards a federal parliamentarian, following their condemnation of a National Socialist Network protest on 8 November, 2025,” a police spokesperson said. Det Supt Jeremy Staunton of the AFP said there was no place for advocating violent extremism or hatred in Australia. “The AFP supports freedom of speech and political expression but let it be clear any alleged criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment, will not be tolerated,” Staunton said. “Individuals or groups who promote hatred and fear are eroding the social fabric of our community. “There is no place for violent extremist views, and the AFP will defend and protect Australia and Australia’s future from these threats. The AFP has not confirmed which federal politician the arrested man’s messages allegedly referred to. In a statement on Monday, the independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, confirmed a threat to her had been referred to police. Spender had condemned the 8 November rally on X as “appalling” and “seeking to spread vile hatred against Jewish people”. “This is an extremely tiny group of extremist thugs who represent no one,” said Spender on Monday. Spender declined to comment on Thursday night, after the arrest was made.