United Patriots Front
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| Predecessor | Reclaim Australia |
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| Formation | 2015 |
| Dissolved | 2019 |
| Purpose | Islamophobia Australian nationalism White supremacy |
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| Part of a series on |
| Far-right politics in Australia |
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| Part ofa serieson |
| Antisemitism |
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 Category |
| Part ofa serieson |
| Islamophobia |
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TheUnited Patriots Front(UPF) was an Australianfar-rightextremist group[1]that opposedimmigration,multiculturalismand the religion ofIslam.Formed in 2015, the group has been largely dormant since their Facebook page was deleted following the 2019Christchurch mosque shootings.[2][3][4][5]
Based in the state ofVictoria,UPF was anationalistgroup that formed following a schism in the anti-IslamicReclaim Australiagroup. The group has been described by a number of media outlets and journalists as ahate group.[6]
The group also had anantisemitismagenda and several members wereneo-Nazis.[7][8]In 2015, its leaders discussed Jewish conspiracy theories, withNeil Eriksonstating that "My personal opinion is stick to the Muslim shit andCultural Marxismfor max support, do Jews later. You don't need to show your full hand. "Blair Cottrellreplied that it was his "current attitude as well. It will take years to prepare for the Jewish problem. If any of us came out with it now we would be slaughtered by public opinion."[9]
History
[edit]- Formation
In 2014, several people who would later become the UPF attended theBendigo mosque protests,opposing the construction of a mosque and Islamic community centre in the Australian regional city ofBendigo.[10][11]The United Patriots Front was formed in May 2015 when founding members split from Reclaim Australia, due to a dispute that links to the extreme-right group Australian Defence League were giving an unwanted image of Reclaim Australia.[12]
- 2015
In May, UPF members clashed with anti-racism protesters on the steps ofRichmondTown Hall in Melbourne, when about 70 UPF members were met with a counter-protest of around 300 protesters from the groupCampaign Against Racism and Fascism.Anti-racist protesters chanted "Muslims are welcome, racists are not" and one man from the UPF was charged with weapons offences. The UPF was protesting against an anti-racism forum organised by local councillorStephen Jollyof theSocialist Party.Protesters from Campaign Against Racism and Fascism called the members of UPF Nazis.[13]
In June, the group protestedZaky Mallah's appearance onQ&A,a television programme, by roasting a pig outside the Melbourne office of the ABC in an apparent attempt to deliberately upset Muslims.
On 23 July,Victoria PoliceCommissioner Graham Ashton confirmed a firearm was seized in Sydney from a man who was travelling to the rally on 18 July.
In August,Fairfax Mediareported that Erikson was under investigation for alleged conversations with an unknown person threatening councillor Stephen Jolly.
In September, the group announced that they would contest the Senate at the upcoming 2016 federal election. The group also distributed pamphlets to municipal, state, and federal government figures that attacked the Bendigo mayor. The pamphlet was interpreted as a threat by one official.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
In October, Blair Cottrell replaced Burgess as chairman of the United Patriots Front.[9]
In October, the group beheaded a dummy outside the Bendigo City Council chambers to protest the2015 Parramatta shootingand approval to construct a mosque in Bendigo. A leader of the local anti-mosque group disassociated from the UPF. They later held a demonstration in Rosalind Park which attracted around 1,000 supporters in conjunction with the World Wide Rally for Humanity, which was a global anti-Islam rally. A Victorian police officer said that most protesters who came to protest in Bendigo travelled from otherAustralian states.On the eve of the proposed 10 October rally in Bendigo, the group was belittled by Victorian PremierDaniel Andrews,who said that most of them "wouldn't be able to spell Bendigo".[21][22][23]
In November, the group stated its intention to start a political party called Fortitude. However, it failed to sign up the 500 members needed for registration.[9]
AuthorJohn Safransaid that members of the 19CC Motorcycle Club had been associating with the UPF. The club's patch featured a red crucifix with the words"No FGM".The 'CC' in the club's name reportedly stood for Citizen Crusaders. An administrator of the group's Facebook page was featured in a video withAustralia First PartychairmanJim Saleam.Cottrell toldNeil Mitchellhis organisation would "only be violent if they needed to defend themselves".[24][25][26][27]
- 2016
In February, leader Blair Cottrell was mocked after being photographed purchasing a meal from ahalal-certifiedfast-food restaurant,despite his vocal opposition to halal certification and support for boycotts of certified businesses and products.[28]
On April 1, United Patriots Front was criticised for unfurling banner with the words "Stop the Mosques" at anAustralian Football Leaguematch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Football officials condemned the UPF supporters, for action described as being "offensive", "disgusting" and "racist" for their involvement with the banner. On 10 April, the banner was displayed at another Australian Football League game in Perth. The UPF members were removed from the grounds and the banner confiscated.[29][30][31][32][33]
- 2017
In September 2017, members Blair Cottrell, Neil Erikson and Chris Shortis were found guilty by a magistrate ofinciting contempt against Muslimsafter they had enacted and made a video of a fake beheading, in order to protest against the building of a mosque inBendigo.Each was fined $2,000.[34][35]
On 5 September, UPE members disrupted a meeting of theCity of Yarracouncil in protest of their decision tostop referring to January 26 as Australia Day.[36][37][38]
- 2018
In January, the UPF attempted to arrange vigilante patrols after federal politicianPeter Duttonfalsely claimed that people in Melbourne were "scared to go out to restaurants" because of "African gang violence".[39][40]
In August,News Corpnews outletSky News Australiawas heavily criticised for providing a platform to Cottrell in a one-on-one discussion about immigration. Sky News reporterLaura Jayestook offence at his appearance on the program due to the fact that he has expressed admiration for Hitler and claimed to have manipulated women "using violence and terror". She described Cottrell as a "fascist" and an "arsehole". The political editor of Sky News,David Speers,was also critical of Cottrell's appearance on the show, stating: "I have just arrived back in the country tonight to be met with the understandable outrage over this... as News Director Greg Byrnes says, it was wrong to have this guy on Sky News." Sky News commentator and former Labor Party ministerCraig Emersonresigned in protest after the interview was broadcast, stating that "My father fought Nazis in WWII and was interned in a German POW camp," and that the decision to give Cottrell a platform on Sky News was "another step in a journey to normalising racism & bigotry in our country" During the fallout and criticisms over the interview Cottrell tweeted about raping reporter Laura Jayes, saying via Twitter that "I might as well have raped @ljayes (Sky News political reporter Laura Jayes) on the air, not only would she have been happier with that but the reaction would've been the same." Jayes responded stating that Cottrell is "not just a fascist. He's down right dangerous". Activist groups called on advertisers to pull advertising campaigns off Sky News in the wake of the channel's interview with Cottrell.[41][42][43][44][45]
- 2019
In January 2019, UPF leaders, Erikson and Cottrell, promised to unleash aCronulla-style race rioton Melbourne.[46]On 5 January, around 100 far-right protesters turned up atSt Kildabeach to stage a rally and were confronted by about 200 anti-racist protesters and a strong police presence.[47][48]
On the 16th of March, Several UPF members were captured on video assaulting a 17-year-old boy, after the boy crushed an egg on the back of Senator Anning's head while he was speaking at a political meeting in the Melbourne suburb ofMoorabbin.The teenager reportedly egged Anning in response to comments made by the senator about theChristchurch mosque shootingsinNew Zealand,claiming that Muslim immigration had led to the attacks.[49]Anning threw two punches at the boy. Erikson and a number of other UPF members tackled the boy to the ground, putting him in a headlock and repeatedly kicking and punching him.[50]The teenager was arrested and later released pending further inquiries.Victoria Policesaid the incident would be being investigated "in its entirety", including Anning's actions.[51][52]
On the 23rd of March, in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attack, it emerged that the alleged perpetrator, Brenton Tarrant, had three years earlier given fulsome praise to Cottrell as a leader of the far-right movements. He made more than 30 comments on the UPF and True Blue Crew Facebook pages, singling out Cottrell for praise and disparaging Erikson and Burgess as "useful idiots".[53]
Scott Moerland, a senior figure in the United Patriots Front, contested the2019 Federal Electionrunning as a candidate for former Queensland senatorFraser Anning'sConservative National Party.Anning had previously stated that he would not endorse anyone associated with UPF;[54]however, he had spoken at the UPF rally in January.[55]
Former members
[edit]- Shermon Burgess
Shermon Burgess is a former council worker from New South Wales, who was a founding member of the UPF. Burgess quit the group in October 2015 after being mocked by other UPF members online, naming Victorian leader Blair Cottrell as the new leader.[56][57][58]
Burgess, formerly described as a neo-Nazi, was also a member of Australian Defence League and Reclaim Australia. He converted to Islam in 2023.[59]
Former leader Cottrell is a convicted criminal and has been described by numerous media outlets and Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner,Tim Soutphommasane,as aneo-Nazi.[60][56] Besides other run-ins with the law, in September 2017, UPF leaders Cottrell,Neil Erikson,and Christopher Shortis, were found guilty by a magistrate ofinciting contempt against Muslims,and each was fined $2,000.[34]
In October 2015, Blair Cottrell replaced Burgess as chairman of the United Patriots Front.[61]Cottrell stirred controversy over his criminal convictions (which includearson,stalking,making threats to kill (Offences against the Person Act 1861), violating theRacial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001by inciting contempt against Muslims and breachingintervention orders), and for several of his public statements, including a desire to see a portrait ofAdolf Hitlerhung in Australian classrooms and for copies ofMein Kampfto be "issued annually" to students. Cottrell has denied supporting Nazism.[62][56]He announced the formation of a political party, Fortitude, which folded after failing to muster enough members to register.[63]Cottrell was the leader of the UPF until the group split in 2017.
Erikson was one of the founders of UPF, and came to national prominence for a verbal attack on former Labor senatorSam Dastyariin a Melbourne bar, in which he called the Iranian-born Dastyari a "terrorist" and a "little monkey" and telling him to "go back home".[64][65]
Erikson is a neo-Nazi and convicted criminal whose convictions include assault,inciting contempt against Muslims,stalking, affray and riotous behaviour. Along with Cottrell and Shortis, he is associated with the secretive far-right fight club,Lads Society.[66][67][68][69][70]
In 2014, Erikson was convicted of stalking after calling Rabbi Dovid Gutnick and threatening him to "Give me the money Jew or else I will get you".[71]
- Chris Shortis
Chris Shortis was one of the founding members and often referred to in the media as one of the group's leaders. A convicted criminal, Shortis is also a member of the Australia First Party.[72][73][69]
See also
[edit]- Australian Defence League
- Australia First Party
- Antipodean ResistanceAustralian neo-Nazi group that emerged around the same time as Reclaim Australia.
- Australia First PartyAustralian far-right political party associated with Reclaim Australia.
- Australian Liberty Alliance
- Far-right politics in Australia
- Islamophobia in Australia
- Lads Society
- National Action (Australia)Australian neo-Nazi group.
- Q Society
- Reclaim Australia
- Soldiers of Odin(apparently defunct as of late 2016)
- True Blue Crew- Reclaim Australia splinter group
- Ultranationalism
- White nationalism
References
[edit]- ^Molloy, Shannon."The new extremist threat in Australia: Right-wing groups who have ASIO's attention".News.News Corp Australia.Retrieved28 March2019.,
- ^"Facebook bans 'representation of white nationalism'".Australian Financial Review.28 March 2019.Retrieved19 September2021.
- ^"'Emperor Cottrell': Accused Christchurch shooter had celebrated rise of the Australian far-right ".abc.net.au.22 March 2019.Retrieved19 September2021.
- ^"Facebook to crack down on hate speech and livestreaming after Christchurch attacks".stuff.co.nz.30 March 2019.Retrieved19 September2021.
- ^"Twitter disables Blair Cottrell's account for a week over rape comments".the Guardian.7 August 2018.Retrieved18 September2021.
- ^
- Younger, Emma; Oaten, James (4 September 2017)."Far-right nationalists face court over dummy beheading, claim they're on 'political trial'".ABC News.Retrieved4 September2017.
- "Fears rallies could lead to clashes".News.au.31 May 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2015.Retrieved15 June2015.
- "Anti-Islam protesters and anti-racism activists clash in Melbourne".The Australian. 31 May 2015.Retrieved15 June2015.[dead link]
- Hall, Bianca (17 October 2015)."Street fights and 'internet vigilantes': Inside Australia's anti-Islam movement".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved9 November2015.
- McPherson, Tahlia (20 September 2015)."Albury mosque the next stop for protestors".The Border Mail.Retrieved2 December2015.
- Patrick Hatch,Far-right anti-Islam group to rally at Victorian Parliament House,The Age(12 June 2016).
- ^Rydgren, Jens (2018).The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right(First ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 661.ISBN978-0190274573.
- ^Neo Nazi refs:
- Judith Bessant; Rys Farthing; Rob Watts (2017).The Precarious Generation: A Political Economy of Young People.Taylor & Francis. p. 180.ISBN978-1-317-28917-3.
- Salim Farrar; Ghena Krayem (2016).Accommodating Muslims Under Common Law: A Comparative Analysis.Routledge. p. 33.ISBN978-1-317-96422-3.
- "Inside the United Patriots Front, Australia's growing far-right anti-Islam movement".ABC News.13 October 2015.Retrieved7 August2018.
- ^abcKoslowski, Max (11 January 2019)."How Australia's far-right were divided and conquered - by themselves".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 11 January 2019.Retrieved22 March2019.
- ^"Social Cohesion In Bendigo: Understanding Community Attitudes to the Mosque in 2015"(PDF).Victorian Multicultural Commission.Victorian Government. 2017. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 March 2019.Retrieved30 March2019.
- ^Hatch, Patrick (23 June 2014)."Far-right group spreading anti-mosque message in Bendigo".The Age.Retrieved15 January2016.
- ^"'Some of us still have balls left': Shermon Burgess claims to be standing up for Australia, but who is he? ".news.au.4 August 2015.Retrieved6 May2023.
- ^"Violent clashes between United Patriots Front and anti-racism protesters at Richmond Town Hall".ABC News.31 May 2015.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^Worrall, Allison; Hatch, Patrick (27 June 2015)."Anti-Islam group protests outside ABC building over Zaky Mallah's Q&A appearance".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2015.
- ^Hatch, Patrick (12 July 2015)."Far-right anti-Islam group to rally at Victorian Parliament House".The Age.Archivedfrom the original on 11 March 2016.
- ^Lavoipierre, Ange (24 July 2015)."Gun seized from Reclaim Australia-bound protester prompts safety concerns amongst police".ABC News.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2023.
- ^Hall, Bianca (2 August 2015)."Police investigate kill threats against Councillor Stephen Jolly".The Age.Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2016.
- ^"The Great Aussie Patriot | Facebook".facebook.Retrieved1 October2015.
- ^Hall, Bianca (11 September 2015)."Far-right group UPF plans to run for Senate and campaign on right to 'bare arms'".The Age.Retrieved1 October2015.
- ^"Mosque foes take aim at Bendigo council".
- ^Worrall, Allison."Anti-Islam group beheads dummy in protest of Bendigo mosque".The Age.Retrieved4 October2015.
- ^"Bendigo's anti-mosque protest: United Patriots Front nationalist group behind demonstration".ABC News.12 October 2015.
- ^Hall, Bianca."Anti-mosque protesters 'wouldn't be able to spell Bendigo': Premier Daniel Andrews".The Age.Retrieved9 October2015.
- ^Young, J; Cavanagh, R."United Patriots Front to start political party called Fortitude".Herald Sun.Retrieved21 December2015.
- ^Safran, John (2017).Depends What You Mean By Extremist: Going Rogue with Australian Deplorables.Penguin Random House Australia. pp. 146, 148.ISBN9781926428772.
- ^"Far-right anti-Islam group to rally at Victorian Parliament House".The Sydney Morning Herald.12 July 2015.
- ^"Anti-Islam rally organiser cannot guarantee protest will be violence-free".3AW.
- ^Chad Freeman (4 February 2016)."Anti-Halal Campaigner Blair Cottrell Spotted At Kebab Shop".Complex AU.Retrieved13 March2016.
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- ^"'Disgusting' banner mars Magpies' win — The New Daily ".1 April 2016.
- ^"Subscribe — theaustralian".(subscription required)
- ^"United Patriots Front evicted from West Coast vs Fremantle game for anti-mosque banner".Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 April 2016.Retrieved9 April2016.
- ^abCooper, Adam (5 April 2017)."Far-right trio convicted, fined $2000 each, over mock-beheading mosque protest".The Age.Retrieved22 March2019.
- ^"United Patriots Front trio found guilty of inciting serious contempt of Muslims".The Guardian.5 September 2017.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^"Far-right nationalists found guilty of inciting serious contempt for Muslims".ABC News.5 September 2017.Retrieved6 September2017.
- ^Facebook removes Patriots Front pageHerald Sun (subscription required)
- ^"Far-right group disrupts council meeting to protest against Australia Day changes".ABC News.6 September 2017.Retrieved6 September2017.
- ^Davey, Melissa (15 January 2018)."Channel Seven under fire over interview with far-right activist".The Guardian.Guardian News and Media.Retrieved12 February2018.
- ^Brook, Benedict (15 January 2018)."Channel 7 accused of going soft on racism by airing interview with far-right leader".news.au.News Corp Australia.Retrieved12 February2018.
- ^Meade, Amanda (6 August 2018)."Sky News interview with far-right agitator Blair Cottrell sparks fury".The Guardian.Retrieved6 August2018.
- ^"Sky News admits it was 'wrong' to air interview with far-right nationalist Blair Cottrell".ABC News.5 August 2018.
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- ^Zhou, Naaman (7 August 2018)."Advertisers urged to pull campaigns from Sky News after far-right extremist interview".The Guardian.Retrieved7 August2018.
- ^Graham, ben (7 August 2018)."Far-right nationalist Blair Cottrell copping it over rape tweet to Sky News reporter".News.Retrieved7 August2018.
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- ^"Three arrested after riot police flood St Kilda Beach for far-right rally".ABC News.5 January 2019.
- ^"Fraser Anning punches teen after being egged while speaking to media in Melbourne".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 March 2019.Retrieved16 March2019.
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- ^"Fraser Anning punches teen after being egged while speaking to media in Melbourne".ABC News.16 March 2019.Retrieved16 March2019.
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- ^An abridged list of articles that describe Cottrell as a neo-Nazi
- "Craig Emerson quits Sky News over Blair Cottrell interview".RN Drive.ABC Radio National. 6 August 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 21 June 2020.Retrieved8 August2018.
- Emerson, Craig (6 August 2018)."Why I quit Sky News over the Blair Cottrell neo-Nazi interview".Australian Financial Review.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2018.
- "Sky News cuts show after Nazi interview".Nine News.6 August 2018.Retrieved8 August2018.
New editorial directors have been appointed at Sky News and a show suspended after an interview with convicted arsonist and neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell.
- "SkyNews: Blair Cottrell interview 'wrong'".The Courier.6 August 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 8 August 2018.Retrieved8 August2018.
"The decision to allow neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell onto the channel was another step in a journey to normalising racism & bigotry in our country," he tweeted.
- "Sky News cuts show after Nazi interview".Yahoo7 News.6 August 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2018.Retrieved8 August2018.
New editorial directors have been appointed at Sky News and a show suspended after an interview with convicted arsonist and neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell.
- ^"How Australia's far-right were divided and conquered - by themselves".The Sydney Morning Herald.11 January 2019.Retrieved19 September2021.
- ^"Anti-Islam group leader Shermon Burgess the Great Aussie Patriot quits United Patriots Front after members tease him in Great Aussie Potator Facebook video. - Yahoo7".Retrieved13 March2016.
- Blair Cottrell Leader of the United Patriots Front.Vimeo.Retrieved13 March2016.
- Blair Cottrell — Speaking from Port Phillip Prison (as an inmate).22 February 2016.Retrieved13 March2016– via YouTube.
- "Far-right nationalists found guilty of inciting serious contempt for Muslims".ABC News.5 September 2017.Retrieved6 September2017.
- ^Sydney Morning Herald,11 January 2019,How Australia's far-right were divided and conquered - by themselves
- ^Percy, Karen (13 March 2018)."Judge scolds far-right activist Neil Erikson as 'childish' for wearing uniform to court".ABC News.Retrieved8 December2018.
- ^"Stan takes legal action over Patriot Blue after racial attack on Dastyari".SBS News.9 November 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2018.Retrieved8 December2018.
- ^Graham, Ben."Secret location of Aussie underground fight club leaks".News.New.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^Toohey, Paul."Mind wars: The extremists taking Australia to dark places".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^Hall, Bianca (2 August 2015)."Police investigate kill threats against Councillor Stephen Jolly".The Age.Fairfax.Retrieved8 December2018.
- ^abNathan, Julie (31 January 2018)."The Rise of Australia's Activist Far Right: How Far Will It Go?".ABC.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^Maza, Cristina (16 January 2018)."Neo-Nazi Neil Erikson Confused the Quran With the Bible in Court".Newsweek.Retrieved8 December2018.
- ^"No jail for Melb man for racist calls".SBS News.Special Broadcasting Service. 12 February 2014.Retrieved21 March2019.
- ^McMahon, Luke (7 November 2015)."Gun-toting anti-Muslim 'crusader' at lead of United Patriots Front".The Sydney Morning Herald.Fairfax.Retrieved9 December2018.
- ^Goswell, Gus (2 June 2016)."United Patriots Front misses deadline to register political party ahead of federal election".ABC News.Retrieved10 December2018.