 | |
| Predecessor | United Patriots Front Australian Defence League Reclaim Australia |
|---|---|
| Successor | National Socialist Network European Australia Movement |
| Formation | 2017 |
| Founder | Thomas Sewell |
| Defunct | 2020[citation needed] |
| Type | White nationalist organisation |
| Purpose | Neo-Nazism, White nationalism |
Chairman | Thomas Sewell |
| Affiliations | United Patriots Front, Antipodean Resistance, Soldiers of Odin, Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party, True Blue Crew, Reclaim Australia |
Formerly called | United Patriots Front |
| Split from Reclaim Australia | |
| Part of a series on |
| Far-right politics in Australia |
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The Lads Society is a far-right, white nationalist, Islamophobic extremist group founded by several former members of the United Patriots Front (UPF) in late 2017. It established club houses in Sydney and Melbourne.[1][2] The Lads Society came to national prominence after it staged a rally in St Kilda, Victoria, targeting the local African Australian community. Attendees were seen making the Nazi salute and one was photographed wearing an SS helmet.[1]
In 2017, the group's leader, New Zealand-born[3] Thomas Sewell asked Brenton Harrison Tarrant (who would later become the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings) to join the Lads Society, but Tarrant refused.[4] The group's members and allies attempted to infiltrate the Young Nationals in New South Wales, and engaged in branch stacking at the May 2018 conference. Lads Society members attained leadership positions in the Young Nationals, but were later forced out of the party.[5] The Melbourne Chapter has since become the National Socialist Network.
- ^ a b Campion, Kristy (April 2019). "A "Lunatic Fringe"? The Persistence of Right Wing Extremism in Australia". Perspectives on Terrorism. 13 (2): 12–13. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Byron; Allard, Tom (4 April 2019). "New clues emerge of accused New Zealand gunman Tarrant's ties to far right groups". Reuters. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
vidswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Begley, Patrick (2 May 2019). "Threats from white extremist group that 'tried to recruit Tarrant'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Koziol, Michael (31 October 2018). "Nationals members resign en masse amid investigation into neo-Nazi ties". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
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