Australia has cancelled the visa of South African national Matthew Gruter after he was spotted attending a neo-Nazi rally outside the New South Wales parliament earlier this month. Gruter, who moved to Australia in 2022 and works as a civil engineer, was seen standing in the front row of around sixty black-clad protesters holding a banner that read “Abolish the Jewish lobby”, according to local media.
The protest was organised by the National Socialist Network, one of Australia’s most notorious neo-Nazi groups. Reports indicate that Gruter is a senior member of the organisation in New South Wales. Demonstrators repeatedly chanted “blood and honour”, a slogan historically tied to the Hitler Youth. Although the rally lasted less than twenty minutes and had legal authorisation, it drew widespread condemnation.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the decision to revoke Gruter’s visa, emphasising that Australia will not tolerate extremism from those who are guests in the country. “If you are on a visa, you are a guest,” Burke said. “If a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it is time to go home.”
Australia has recently strengthened its laws against far-right extremism, introducing mandatory prison sentences for performing the Nazi salute and tightening restrictions on hate symbols. The rise in right-wing extremism has pushed the government to adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward groups such as the National Socialist Network.
The cancellation of Gruter’s visa marks one of the most visible actions yet in Australia’s ongoing effort to curb extremist ideologies and protect public safety.
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