Neo-Nazi group targets University of Tasmania in hate campaign

26 Sep 2017

An Australian white power group calling itself the Antipodean Resistance has plastered hateful and offensive posters over signage at University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) Hobart campus in what the group has described as a “prank”.

According to ABC News, the materials feature swastikas, images of Adolf Hitler and homophobic slurs. Some of the materials make assertions about the suicide rates of gay and transgendered people. Another poster, featuring an image of a young Hitler wearing sunglasses, states “National Socialism or nothing!”

The national socialist group describes itself as “the Hitlers you’ve been waiting for” on its website. They also claim to “see this country for what it is: terminally ill” and say the country is “weak and crumbling under the weight of progressive degeneracy.”

Some our our material was put up around the University of Tasmania and surrounding areas pic.twitter.com/YuVKX737AS

— AntipodeanResistance (@NS_Australia) September 23, 2017

Showing a distinct lack of cultural and historical awareness, the group also believes as white Australians, they “maintain the ability to reclaim our land — and we will.”

UTAS has been quick to condemn the actions calling the material “appalling” and offering support to any students or staff that have been “distressed by the incident”.

“Our values commit us to a society which is just, diverse and inclusive,” a UTAS spokesperson said in a statement.

“The content of these posters represents a set of views which are completely unacceptable as part of a civil community.”

Some of the Melbourne lads went for a hike, bringing the new flags with us. It was great to get away from the city and back to nature pic.twitter.com/H9DifOvP3j

— AntipodeanResistance (@NS_Australia) May 29, 2017

The Tasmania University Union (TUU) also spoke out against the vile posters, with TUU president Clark Cooley saying universities around Australia had faced “similar attacks of vandalism this year by the same group who use racist and homophobic terms while displaying Nazi imagery”.

“We stand against white supremacists and Neo-Nazi activities in our community, any such discrimination will not be tolerated. This is a deeply horrific message to be sending to the multicultural makeup of our university and the broader Tasmanian community.”