Canberra: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has strongly denounced neo-Nazi and far-right activity in Australia after South Australian Police arrested 16 individuals in Adelaide on Australia Day.
The group, which included a 16-year-old boy from Victoria, faced various charges such as assaulting police and failing to comply with orders to cease loitering.
A 25-year-old man from Western Australia was charged with using a Nazi symbol and possessing an item intended for disguise.
Speaking about the incident, Mr. Albanese described the scenes as "horrific," expressing his dismay at seeing individuals openly identifying as neo-Nazis and white supremacists. "There is no place for this hateful ideology here in Australia or anywhere else," he said, adding that ASIO has been warning about the rise of far-right groups in the country.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Prime Minister also announced a $4.4 million investment to establish a national Holocaust education centre. "We must understand the consequences of hate and ensure that anti-Semitism is opposed in all its forms," he said.
He emphasized Australia's diversity and the importance of fostering harmony, highlighting the nation’s ability to unite people, from First Nations communities to newly arrived migrants. "We must cherish and nurture the peace and security we have built in this country," he added.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas also condemned the incident, particularly the group's actions near the National War Memorial in Adelaide's CBD. He called it "utterly disgraceful" that the protesters chose to demonstrate at a site honoring South Australians who fought against the very ideology the group represents.
"Racism and intolerance have no place in Australia," Mr. Malinauskas said, commending the swift actions of police in arresting those involved.
The arrested individuals are scheduled to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
