Lindsey Weedston
A white supremacist in Australia posted a YouTube video of his own assault against a Black security guard who was trying to get them to film outside of the office building of the news network that was about to air a segment on his neo-Nazi group.
Thomas Sewell, leader of the National Socialist Network, can be clearly seen on camera punching the security guard in the face after he reacted to the cameraman calling him a racial slur.
The video contains over a minute of Sewell whining about not being able to spout his Nazi propaganda without people talking back before the guard approaches to tell them they can’t film inside the building.
The office belongs to Melbourne’s Channel 9 news network, which was set to air their report on the fact that Australia has Nazis an our before the assault took place.
The situation inside the building is tense enough as Sewell starts to cry censorship and the security guard tries to block the cameraman from filming him or anyone else.
Eventually, the guard either pushes or holds the camera to the side so it can’t film anything but the floor and the welcome desk, resulting in a tense standoff.
After a lot of back and forth of “gets your hands off the camera” and “go outside and film,” the Nazis finally agree to leave the building. The guard follows in order to direct them to the area where they are allowed to film, and then the cameraman says something to make the tense situation explode.
“Dance, monkey, dance!”
Obviously, the use of the word “monkey” against a Black man in a confrontational situation is going to make it a racial slur, and we’re pretty sure the Nazis meant it as one.
“Watch yourself, man,” the security guard says. “I’m not a dancing monkey.”
“Don’t f–king touch me,” the cameraman can be heard saying. After a quick camera jostle, it focuses right in on Sewell punching the guard in the face at least twice, knocking him on his back. Sewell gets on top of him, but bystanders quickly intervene.
It’s unclear from the video whether the security guard actually made physical contact with the cameraman, but it’s completely clear who started the fight. Still, Sewell and his fellow Nazis are claiming that he did nothing wrong, claiming he “defended a cameraman from an attack.”
It seems that not everyone would agree to this defense, as Channel 9 announced this morning that Sewell and another individual had been arrested on charges of assault.
The security guard was taken to the hospital following the assault, but was released after speaking with police. Sewell and his associate, meanwhile, have been questioned by “counter terrorism command detectives.”
The National Socialist Network in Australia is notorious for engaging in white supremacist activities like throwing Nazi salutes and burning crosses in the style of the KKK as well as referring to indigenous Australians as “subhuman.” Their motto is “Australia for the white man.” Groups like this often use racial slurs and other instigating language to start fights, then claim “self-defense” when someone dares to react.
Sewell has predictably refused to apologize and questioned whether his victim was really a security guard.