Lads Society

The Lads Society is an Australian far-right, white nationalist, Islamophobic extremist group founded by several former members of the United Patriots Front (UPF) in late 2017. It established club houses in Sydney and Melbourne.^[1][2] The Lads Society came to national prominence after it staged a rally in St Kilda, Victoria, targeting the local African Australian community. Attendees were seen making the Nazi salute and one was photographed wearing an SS helmet.^[1]

Lads Society

Predecessor	United Patriots Front Australian Defence League Reclaim Australia
Successor	National Socialist Network European Australia Movement
Formation	2017; 7 years ago (2017)
Founder	Thomas Sewell
Defunct	2020; 4 years ago (2020)[citation needed]
Type	White nationalist organisation
Purpose	Neo-Nazism, White nationalism
Chairman	Thomas Sewell
Affiliations	United Patriots Front, Antipodean Resistance, Soldiers of Odin, Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party, True Blue Crew, Reclaim Australia
Formerly called	United Patriots Front
Split from Reclaim Australia

In 2017, the group's leader, New Zealand-born^[3] Thomas Sewell asked Brenton Harrison Tarrant (who would later become the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings) to join the Lads Society, but Tarrant refused.^[4] The group's members and allies attempted to infiltrate the Young Nationals in New South Wales, and engaged in branch stacking at the May 2018 conference. Lads Society members attained leadership positions in the Young Nationals, but were later forced out of the party.^[5] The Melbourne Chapter has since become the National Socialist Network.

History

Ashfield Community Action group antifascist poster protesting the presence of the Lads Society in Ashfield

In 2017, members of the United Patriots Front, Blair Cottrell, Neil Erikson, Chris Shortis and former UPF lieutenant Thomas Sewell, along with Nathaniel Anderson and Jacob Hersant, members of the neo-Nazi Antipodean Resistance, were involved in the creation of the Lads Society, a private far-right men-only club, with a base in Melbourne.

A Sydney club followed in April 2018, and there were plans to expand into other states. The clubs include a boxing gym where weekly "fight nights" take place and a library.^[6][7]

In 2018, a local Sydney community group called Ashfield Community Action (ACA) formed in order to oppose the Lads Society. The group distributed posters that aimed to warn the suburb's residents about the group, stating that "The Sydney Branch is known to be led by committed Nazis", and that the organisation "has attracted the interest of hundreds of hard line far-right racists from around Australia". It accused the group of "training white men for racist violence" and called for it to be "shut down as soon as possible".^[6]

Lads Society members provided a security detail for far-right white nationalist Lauren Southern during her 2018 Australian tour. Photos from the event show members displaying the white power symbol hand sign gang signal.^[6]

In early January 2019, Erikson and Cottrell promised to unleash a Cronulla-style race riot on Melbourne. During the rally a significant number of participants were documented giving Nazi salutes.^[8][9][10]

Undated videos leaked to the press in November 2019 revealed Sewell's aim to attract and recruit members from mainstream society under the guise of a men's fitness club. His white supremacist agenda was clearly shown as he outlined plans which included the creation of "Anglo-European" enclaves in Australian cities, encouraging the "speed and ferocity of the decay" of society to help foment a "race war" by such tactics as exploiting the "African gangs" trope used by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and other mainstream politicians.^[3]

See also

• Australian Defence League
• Antipodean Resistance, Australian neo-Nazi group that emerged around the same time as Reclaim Australia
• Australia First Party, Australian far-right political party associated with Reclaim Australia
• Far-right politics in Australia
• Islamophobia in Australia
• National Action, Australian neo-Nazi group
• National Socialist Network, Australian neo-Nazi group that succeeded the Lads Society
• Q Society
• Reclaim Australia
• Romper Stomper (TV series) – TV series featuring a group similar to Reclaim Australia^[11]
• Soldiers of Odin (apparently defunct as of late 2016)
• True Blue Crew – Reclaim Australia splinter group
• Ultranationalism
• United Patriots Front
• White nationalism
• White supremacy
• Yellow Vest Australia (formerly Australian Liberty Alliance)

References

1. Campion, Kristy (April 2019). "A "Lunatic Fringe"? The Persistence of Right Wing Extremism in Australia". Perspectives on Terrorism. 13 (2): 12–13. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
2. Kaye, Byron; Allard, Tom (4 April 2019). "New clues emerge of accused New Zealand gunman Tarrant's ties to far right groups". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
3. McGowan, Michael (11 November 2019). "Australian white nationalists reveal plans to recruit 'disgruntled, white male population'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
4. Begley, Patrick (2 May 2019). "Threats from white extremist group that 'tried to recruit Tarrant'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
5. Koziol, Michael (31 October 2018). "Nationals members resign en masse amid investigation into neo-Nazi ties". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
6. Graham, Ben (30 November 2018). "Secret location of Aussie underground fight club leaks". News.com. New.com. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
7. Puddy, Rebecca (7 June 2018). "Far right nationalists open private men-only clubs in Melbourne and Sydney". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
8. "The new extremist threat in Australia: Right-wing groups who have ASIO's attention". Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
9. "Opposing race protesters and police converge on St Kilda foreshore". The Age. 5 January 2019. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
10. Wroe, David (7 January 2019). "Fake facts and normalising extremists: why it was right to jump all over Fraser Anning". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
11. "Romper Stomper reboot is a compelling investigation into Australia's extremist politics". ABC News. 30 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.

Further reading

• Perspectives on Terrorism

External links

• Lads Society Official Website