A South African man who was seen attending a neo-Nazi rally outside an Australian state parliament has had his visa revoked.
Matthew Gruter, who has been in Australia since 2022, took part in an anti-Jewish protest outside the New South Wales parliament organized by the National Socialist Network earlier this month.
He was seen among around 60 men clad in black, who held up a banner that said 'Abolish the Jewish lobby,' Australian media report.
Australia has seen a recent rise in right-wing extremism. Its government made the Nazi salute punishable by a mandatory prison term earlier this year.
Australia's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, confirmed the cancellation of Mr. Gruter's visa, stating: 'If you are on a visa, you are a guest. If you're a citizen, you're a full member of the Australian family. Like with any household, if a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it's time to go home.'
Mr. Gruter moved to Australia with his wife and works as a civil engineer, according to ABC News. The National Socialist Network, which organized the rally on November 8, is a well-known neo-Nazi group in Australia. Mr. Gruter is reported to be a senior member of the group in New South Wales, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Demonstrators repeatedly chanted 'blood and honour,' a slogan associated with the Hitler Youth, according to ABC News.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the rally, which lasted about 20 minutes, as a 'shocking display of hatred and racism and antisemitism.'
Sarah Schwartz, executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, expressed that neo-Nazi groups pose a threat to multiculturalism in the country and asserted that there must be a distinction between peaceful protests and 'hateful stunts.' She added, 'They're acts of hate speech, and they should be considered as such.'
