A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #367 - International - Australia: Facing the Fascist Threat (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Our comrades from the Anarchist Communist Federation (ACF) recently 
published an article on the rise of fascism in Australia in their 
newspaper, Picket Line. We are reproducing this article here, which 
reports on the increase in far-right ideas and actions in the country. 
Around the world, the far right is gaining power, for example in the 
United States, the United Kingdom, and France. And now, in Australia, 
the far right is gaining ground. On August 31, coordinated rallies 
called "March for Australia" took place across the country. Tens of 
thousands of people were mobilized under the slogans: "Stop mass 
immigration" and "Keep Australia White." These rallies were organized, 
and in many cities directed, by the National Socialist Network (NSN), a 
Nazi organization.

NSN march in Ballarat with a banner reading "Australia for Whites."

Wikimedia/NSN
The NSN's involvement was evident from the start, but that didn't stop 
politicians like Pauline Hanson[1]and Bob Katter[2]from participating as 
speakers. As we prepare this issue of Picket Line, Hanson's One Nation 
party has risen from 6% to 12% in the polls.

Of the countries listed earlier, none have yet reached the stage of 
fascist dictatorship. But the threat of fascism is real and growing.

One of the key differences between today and the 1930s is that 
resistance from the left is much weaker. Without the threat of class 
struggle, capital will limit the anti-democratic tendencies of the far 
right, preferring ordinary right-wing government to fascism. But 
wherever workers rise up, the right wing and bosses become more 
radicalized against capitalist democracy.

The Far Right in Australia
Here in Australia, the far right doesn't have a significant party in 
parliament, and Nazism is a fringe ideology. But the arrival of a fringe 
group in government isn't impossible. Parties like the National Rally 
have their origins in these kinds of neo-fascist clubs, and Nigel Farage 
was already influencing the British Conservative Party long before 
Reform UK[3]took the lead in the polls.

The far right has already tried to become mainstream. In 2015, a motley 
crew of neo-Nazis tried to capitalize on Islamophobia with Reclaim 
Australia[4]. Posing as "ordinary mothers and fathers," they managed to 
mobilize thousands of people in racist campaigns, such as the one aimed 
at preventing the construction of a mosque in the city of Bendigo.

Antifascist counter-mobilizations helped to thwart these campaigns. But 
the truth is, we were also fortunate. Reclaim was disorganized and 
dominated by foolish leaders who couldn't agree on anything. It was also 
relatively easy to uncover who was behind it all and expose their true 
agenda. Ultimately, it was the repressive police measures that did the 
most to crush both fascists and antifascists.

What we see today is different. The general crisis of capitalism has 
caught up with us. Support for mainstream parties is plummeting, and 
people are becoming radicalized by the mass movement in support of 
Palestine. In this context, the NSN represents a new kind of threat. 
Compared to previous far-right groups, it is disciplined and well-organized.

It also openly displays its political views. Unlike Reclaim, it doesn't 
try to deceive people into supporting fascism. Its goal is to 
demonstrate its strength as a force capable of crushing the left. It 
aims to violently intimidate socialists, queer people, migrants, and 
Indigenous people-as demonstrated by the attack on the Indigenous 
protest encampment, Camp Sovereignty[5]. By projecting an image of 
power, it seeks to bolster its ranks and serve as shock troops for a 
broader far-right movement. Judging by the reaction of many participants 
in the March for Australia, this broader movement is open to the idea of 
including Nazis in its coalition.

Antifascism means class struggle.
We cannot ignore the fascist vermin invading our streets. Small things 
can lead to bigger ones. This applies to our enemies as well as ourselves.

The working class has every interest in defeating fascism, as its sole 
purpose is to destroy the labor movement through mass murder. When 
things go south and revolution is on the agenda, capitalist bosses and 
politicians will be inclined to join in.

Our comrades from the Anarchist Communist Federation (Australia) were 
present at the anti-racist demonstration in Melbourne on September 13, 2025.
Tommy (ACF)

So when fascists mobilize, we must do the same. Not in small groups 
dressed in black and looking for a fight, but as masses of working men 
and women. We must confront fascists directly, as trade unionists, 
anarchists, Marxists, feminists, and organized community groups. Like 
us, fascists feel demoralized when they are outnumbered and prevented 
from marching. We must strive for this.

But in the long run, mobilization alone is not enough. We must organize. 
The roots of fascism lie in the crises generated by capitalism. Fascism 
can never be defeated as long as capitalism survives. To the workers who 
have succumbed to apathy, and even to those susceptible to fascist lies 
and scapegoating, we must offer a real solution. This solution is class 
solidarity. It is the struggle against the bosses and against the 
government, by standing together as a united working class. The solution 
is revolution.

Anarchist Communist Federation, Australian sister organization of UCL

Submit

[1]Senator and far-right figure, founder of the national-conservative 
party Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

[2]Member of Parliament and founder of the nationalist and conservative 
Katter's Australian Party.

[3]Far-right party that split from UKIP, a Brexit supporter.

[4]An openly Islamophobic Australian party.

[5]In 2025, several neo-Nazis from NSN attacked Aboriginal people during 
a demonstration. The attack was later classified as a "hate crime".

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Australie-Face-a-la-menace-fasciste
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