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‘Go home’: Neo-Nazi ordered to be deported

Immigration Minister Tony Burke on Monday said he had cancelled the visa of South African-born Matthew Gruter following the controversial incident. “If you are on a visa you are a guest; if you’re a citizen you’re a full member of the Australian family,” Mr Burke said. “Like with any household, if a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it’s time to go home.” Mr Gruter, a civil engineer will be deported back to his native South Africa. He has been living in Australia with his influencer wife for about three years, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. More than 60 members of the Nationalist Socialist Network (NSN) demonstrated outside Parliament shortly before 10am on Saturday November 9, holding a large sign reading “Abolish the Jewish lobby”. Dressed in dark clothing and sunglasses, the members chanted slogans used by the Hitler Youth, captured by their own videographer. They also spruiked offensive and anti-Semitic conspiracies and spoke out against new laws outlawing public incitement of hatred – which came into effect on August 15. The rally created a political furore when it was revealed NSW Police had allowed the protest, but had not informed Commissioner Mal Lanyon or the government. NSW Police said the demonstration had been given the green light, but NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and Premier Chris Minns said they were not given a heads-up about the rally on parliament’s doorstep. Premier Chris Minns condemned the group, labelling their actions a “shocking display of hatred”. “No one who lives in Sydney should have to put up with that kind of hate speech on the steps of the People’s House,” he said. “It’s obviously … shameful that these people feel that they have the right to demonstrate in such a despicable, hateful way, spewing division and racism on the streets of Sydney.” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive officer Alex Ryvchin said at the time the neo-Nazis were “adept at identifying the grievances and prejudices that are taking hold in a society and manipulating this for their evil purposes”. “To defeat this, our law enforcement and security agencies need the right legislative tools to monitor and disrupt violent extremists and to prevent them from menacing or physically harming peaceful Australians,” he said. “But the single most important thing we must do is to restore decency, civility and basic rationalism to our country which would instantly remove any appeal of movements founded in pathetic ideas of overthrowing democracy and creating racial hierarchies.”