Racist images plastered on Greens’ office in Launceston
Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson with Greens leader Richard Di Natale.
One of the posters. Source: Twitter
Vandalism by an Australian neo-Nazi group to a Launceston office building has been referred to the Federal Police.
Racist posters and stickers – including images portraying and encouraging the use of swastikas – were plastered on the windows of the Green’s senator Peter Whish-Wilson’s George Street office.
The posters that bear the name of the alt-right Antipodean Resistance were discovered by staff on Monday morning.
Senator Whish-Wilson said it was a sign of the times and showed that not even Tasmania was immune to action from “racist thugs”.
“What we know, from speaking to the Federal Police, is that it has been happening around the country and a national organisation has been recruiting and they suspect they have been recruiting locally,” he said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
“I have a really strong feeling that these kinds of organisations and people are coming out of the shadows now because they are given political cover by debates in this country around things like immigration.”
Similar discussions across the world, such as the influx of asylum seekers in Europe and rhetoric about building a wall between the United States of America and Mexico, normalise the behaviour, Senator Whish-Wilson said.
He said politicising suffering fuelled the hatred, instead of promoting an inclusive society.
“It is highly organised and it is disgusting and it’s very concerning because Tasmania actually … has a welcoming community for refugees,” Senator Whish-Wilson said.
The posters were removed.