Neo-Nazis Discuss Plans To Target Drag Event At Melbourne’s Victorian Pride Centre

LGBTQI and community groups have said they will form a protective ring outside the Victorian Pride Centre after messages surfaced on Telegram channels about plans by suspected neo-Nazis and Proud Boys to target a drag event on Thursday, December 8. 

The event, Glitter Nova, is being organised by the City of Stonnington at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda, Australia’s first LGBTQI community hub. The event for young people aged 12 to 25, will feature drag workshops and performances by drag performers including Alexander McKween, Belial B’Zarr and Randy Roy. 

On Wednesday messages were shared on the Telegram channels XYZ News, Turning Point Australia and Australian Meditations Nationalist Yarn chat, run by suspected National Socialist Network members about the event. 

The chats had messages about protests being planned by a group called ‘People Against Pedos’, alleging that a “child grooming event” was being organised in Melbourne. 

Star Observer has reached out to Victoria Police and will update the story when they respond.

Event Threatened By Neo Nazis And Proud Boys

We strongly encourage community members to organise together tomorrow night to form a peaceful and protective presence of solidarity outside the venue for this family-friendly event.

— [email protected] (@WhiteRoseSocAU) December 7, 2022

The White Rose Society, a collective of anti-fascist researchers, posted on Twitter that the organisers, performers and the council were aware of the planned protests. “We’re aware this event is being threatened by Nazis and Proud Boys,” the collective said. 

“We strongly encourage community members to organise together to form a peaceful and protective presence of solidarity outside the venue for this family-friendly event. With rising homophobia and transphobia, it is more important than ever to show solidarity with communities that are threatened by fascists. Events like this are important opportunities to celebrate queer joy and resilience. Let’s make sure it goes ahead,” the collective said. 

Tomorrow pic.twitter.com/uHOTOMfCc7

— WACA (@akaWACA) December 7, 2022

The group Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance issued an “emergency call to action” calling on the community and queer allies to come to the Pride centre with flags “to defend queer folk”.

Melbourne Neo-Nazis Target Drag Performer At Family-Friendly Youth Fest

On September 30, a group of neo-Nazis targeted a family-friendly youth festival to celebrate the end of school holidays in the inner Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds. 

The men, suspected to be members of the National Socialist Network, founded by Australian neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, shouted homophobic and transphobic slogans and performed offensive Hitler salutes.