Published: 18 October 2022
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Members of the National Socialist Network targeted a drag artist performing at the youth event, claiming his name was "Hebrew for demon flesh". WATCH VIDEO
Last month, a group of families gathered in a quiet park in the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds for a day of outdoor activities including gardening, eco-glitter crafts, a ukulele workshop and a performance by Melbourne drag artist Belial B’Zarr.
Organised as part of the Victorian Government’s Youth Fest, the small-scale community event was intended to provide a fun day for local families and celebrate the contributions of young people.
But the family activities were loudly interrupted by a group of Far-Right protestors attacking both LGBTQI+ people and Jews.
Upon arriving at the event on September 30, Belial B’Zarr immediately noticed an unusually large police presence.
“I overheard an officer chatting to security about a potential protest. I went to chat to security directly after, asking if he knew the content of this protest, where protesters were and if I could be led away or accompanied in the event of having to cross paths with them, he told The Jewish Independent.
“My impression was that these were anti-vax protesters … but that quickly changed after my first act,”
A group of 12 neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network arrived at 1pm after Belial’s first act. They came prepared with banners painted specifically for the occasion, defaming Belial as a demon and drag queens as child abusers. One banner included a Star of David with an equal sign next to “demon flesh”.
“The individual leading the ‘protest’ screamed out my drag name, social media handles and started yelling. The group proceeded to hang around … asking ‘are there any Jews here?'” Belial said. “They were incredibly aggressive and tried to intimidate me and attendees by filming and yelling at us.”
The Jewish Independent understands that the leader Belial refers to here is Thomas Sewell, who occupies the most extreme end of far-Right politics in Australia. An open admirer of Hitler and an antisemite of obsessive proportions, Sewell established the National Socialist Network in 2021 after being leading the right-wing Lads Society from 2017.
Sewell led his followers in performing the Hitler salute and decrying the events promoting “state-mandated homosexuality”. Drowned out by music blaring from the organiser’s speakers, Sewell launched into a confused tirade which meandered between the perils of white guilt, the transgender agenda, and the spoiled legacy of the ANZACs. In footage uploaded by the National Socialist Network, a second individual asserts that the group is “here to protect the children”.
The children and their parents, Belial recalls, did not feel protected. Far from it.
“Some of the children found the ordeal incredibly scary, so their parents either opted to leave or move them to the park over. Older kids and teenagers were able to pick up what was going on and stood strong in the face of these ‘protesters’.”
Despite the neo-Nazi disruption lasting approximately three hours, the local community – led by organisers of the Youth Fest and those who attended the event - displayed resilience and courage and refused to cancel the event.
“I’m incredibly proud of how adults including parents and council workers handled this situation – we were calm in our approach, reassured the younger kids and continued activities like face painting and glitter painting,” Belial told The Jewish Independent.
As word spread of the disruption, Melbourne anti-fascists and queer activists gradually descended on Moonee Ponds to defend participants and organisers.
"The moment the counter-protesters showed up, I felt so much genuine pride,” Belial said, “I’m forever grateful for the people who showed up when it mattered most, and who continue to show up as this situation develops.”
Despite the disrupters being dressed in black and seeking to be as intimidating as possible, some young people in attendance, including teenagers, joined the counter-protest and stood beside the growing anti-fascist contingent. “I genuinely never would’ve been so brave at that age,” Belial reflected. “One teen approached me with teary eyes and they received the biggest hug ever.”
Belial B’Zarr appears to have been targeted by the NSN on the false assumption that he is Jewish. Australian neo-Nazis celebrated the disruption online as a victory against “satanic” forces, sharing highly edited videos of Sewell’s speech and triumphalist articles about the humiliation of those present, Belial in particular. “White Australians have just shut down the first ever drag queen child grooming event in Australia,” Sewell boasted on Telegram in the following days.
The neo-Nazi interest in this incident has caused Belial to experience “intense online harassment” including homophobic, transphobic and antisemitic abuse. However, Belial is undeterred. Friends and followers have provided advice on filtering private messages and assisted him in reporting comments.
The incident, Belial states, only “brought me closer to community and reassured me that my queer friends and family, and allies, won’t let this go unchecked. I feel incredible privileged to have this kind of community support”.
The incident appears to be a premeditated publicity stunt by the NSN, which uploaded a dramatic video boasting of their actions on October 9. The brazen action, and the public promotion of it, is a new step for the shadowy extremist organisation which typically prefers to hide behind balaclavas and touchscreens.
Their behaviour appears to be influenced by events in the United States, where fascists have disrupted community pride events all year; Australian neo-Nazis are seeking to jump in on the contemporary far-Right obsession with drag queens, grooming and conspiracies of child-abusing cabals.
Victoria’s Minister for Equality, Harriet Shing, and local councillor Rose Iser have condemned the neo-Nazi action on September 30 and defended the right of the community to enjoy such events.
Belial B’Zarr said he intends to continue performing but remains troubled by what he witnessed.
“One of the most difficult sights that day was seeing a young boy, maybe in his mid-teens, helping hold one of the banners. I’ve been thinking about how easy it is for children to take up the mantle of hate the adults in their life thrust on them.”
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Photo: National Socialist Network peforming Hitler Salute (NSN telegram)
