Neo-Nazis Disrupt ANZAC Dawn Service, Cancel Welcome to Australia

On April 25, 2024, convicted Neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant and several associates from the National Socialist Network disrupted Melbourne’s ANZAC Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance. The group performed Nazi salutes, shouted “Heil Hitler” and “white power,” and unfurled a banner reading “Australia for the white man” while the official ceremony was underway. Victorian police arrested Hersant and another man, charging them with offences including knowingly performing a Nazi salute, an act banned under new state laws introduced in 2023. The incident triggered widespread condemnation. As a direct consequence, organisers of the separate Collingwood–Essendon ANZAC Day AFL match at the MCG cancelled a planned Welcome to Country address by Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, citing security concerns and the need to avoid further inflame tensions. Aunty Joy described the cancellation as “deeply hurtful,” stating she felt punished for the actions of extremists and that it denied recognition of First Nations service and sacrifice. The decision drew criticism for appearing to reward far-right intimidation.