Australia’s far-right extremist group, the National Socialist Network, has announced it will disband this week, citing the introduction of new hate speech legislation as the primary reason. The group, which has been active for several years, warned that members could face arrest and prosecution if the laws are enacted.
The announcement came in a statement posted on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, in which the Network confirmed it would be “fully disbanded” before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. The statement also extended the disbandment to associated projects, including White Australia, the European Australian Movement, and the White Australia Party.
“If the laws pass, there will be no way to avoid the organisation being banned,” the statement read. “The disbandment is being done before the laws take effect to avoid former members of the organisations from being arrested and charged. These are some of the most draconian laws the West has ever seen. In Australia, political freedom is effectively dead and buried.”
The statement was signed by prominent figures within the group, including Thomas Sewell, Jacob Hersant, Jack Eltis, Timothy Lutze, Gabe Seymour, Hagen Palme, and Joshua Leverington. The post framed the disbandment as a defensive measure, describing the proposed legislation as targeting their political expression under the influence of the “Jewish lobby.”
The proposed laws, flagged on Monday by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in response to the Bondi terror attack, are designed to strengthen Australia’s legal framework against hate speech. Under the draft legislation, it would be an offence to publicly promote or incite racial hatred. Offenders could face up to five years in prison for promoting or inciting hatred against another person or group based on race, colour, or national or ethnic origin.
The legislation also criminalises the dissemination of ideas asserting the superiority of one group over another or expressing hatred toward others based on race or ethnicity. Additionally, the laws make it an offence if conduct would, under all circumstances, cause a reasonable person in the targeted group to fear harassment, intimidation, violence, or for their personal safety.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke highlighted the National Socialist Network and the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir as specific targets of the legislation. “There have been organisations which have played a game for a long time in keeping themselves just below the legal threshold,” Mr. Burke said. “They were called out last year by Mike Burgess, the director-general of ASIO, for the real harm they do to our national security. The two groups he called out specifically were the Nazis, the National Socialist Network, and Hizb ut-Tahrir. We have had enough of organisations that hate Australia, playing games with Australian law.”
The National Socialist Network has long been monitored by Australian authorities for its extremist ideology and activities. While the group has never carried out a large-scale attack, its members have been linked to violent incidents and public displays of neo-Nazi symbolism, including Roman salutes and white supremacist rallies.
Legal experts note that the proposed laws could fundamentally change how Australia addresses extremist political groups. By allowing the government to ban organisations associated with racial hatred or extremist symbolism, the legislation aims to prevent groups like the National Socialist Network from exploiting legal loopholes.
Analysts also warn, however, that disbanding on paper may not immediately stop members from continuing extremist activity underground. Former members could form new, smaller networks that operate outside formal organisational structures, complicating law enforcement efforts.
For now, the National Socialist Network’s preemptive disbandment represents a rare public acknowledgment by an extremist group of the potential consequences of Australia’s evolving hate speech laws. It underscores the government’s determination to crack down on organised racial hatred while sparking debate about political expression and the balance between security and civil liberties.
