anti-trans activist says supporters aren’t neo-Nazis

Anti-trans activists have tried to deny the presence of neo-Nazis at their rally on Saturday by spreading unfounded and false claims they were left-wing activists or undercover police, despite the far-right group’s own message of support.

In the aftermath of the Melbourne appearance of Kellie-Jay Keen Let Women Speak tour, the UK-based anti-trans campaigner live-streamed a “post-event chat” where she sipped champagne with Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming, failed Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves and anti-trans campaigner and host of TERF Talk Down Under Angie Jones.

During the broadcast, Keen repeatedly claimed that a group of men who gave Nazi salutes, chanted “white power”, shouted slurs at the LGBTQIA+ protesters, and included public neo-Nazi figures might not have been neo-Nazis. 

“All of this doesn’t make any sense, it feels really off. I mean, look in the UK. We had police impregnating animal rights campaigners. And we had those police infiltrating those groups. I don’t think it’s beyond the wits of anyone to think that either that was TRAs [trans rights activists] dressed up, or police, or, something was just off,” she said.

Later, Jones echoed these suspicions when talking about how their event was not associated with neo-Nazis, calling them “Nazis in inverted commas”.

Australian far-right researchers, such as the White Rose Society and Andy Fleming, have identified known members of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network as part of the group. These included Thomas Sewell, who was found guilty of affray and recklessly causing injury for punching a Nine security guard and is still facing charges for robbery, and Nathan Bull, a recently unmasked group member and son of a Victorian police officer. 

Social media posts from both Sewell and the group confirmed their participation and explicitly stated their intention was to support Keen and her tour.

Keen did not respond to an Instagram message asking whether she had reconsidered her claims and whether she condemned the neo-Nazis’ support. Crikey does not suggest that Keen was aware of the National Socialist Network’s participation in the rally.

Moira Deeming, who said she believed the neo-Nazis were either LGBTQIA+ protesters or anti-fascist activists until they started doing a Nazi salute, joked that the protesters seemed to greet the neo-Nazis: “It was as if they were saying hello,” she said.

Imitating the LGBTQIA+ protesters, Keen waved and said, “Maybe it was like that, like ‘Alright, mates.’”

“So they’re friends,” Deeming laughed. 

Keen, who has used the pseudonym Posie Parker, has a history of connections with the far right. She has previously taken a selfie with a Norwegian neo-Nazi, praised anti-Islam activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson, and appeared on far-right podcasts and networks, The National reported. At a protest earlier this year organised by Keen’s group, Standing For Women, a speaker quoted Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf when arguing that trans women aren’t women.

Keen’s anti-trans rhetoric has included claims, including as recently as this month, that trans people are transitioning to allow men to sexually abuse children (a common far-right trope) and that even transgender rights supporters are groomers.

Similarly, the neo-Nazis saluted alongside a banner reading “Destroy Paedo Freaks”.

Political leaders from all sides of politics have condemned the rally. This includes Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, federal Greens Leader Adam Bandt, and Victorian Liberal Leader John Pesutto, who said he is moving to expel Deeming from the Liberal parliamentary partyroom later this week.