A South African man who was seen attending a neo-Nazi rally outside an Australian state parliament has had his visa revoked.
Matthew Gruter, who has been in Australia since 2022, took part in an anti-Jewish protest outside the New South Wales parliament organized by the National Socialist Network earlier this month.
He was seen in the front row of around 60 men clad in black, who held up a banner that said Abolish the Jewish lobby, according to Australian media reports.
Australia has seen a recent rise in right-wing extremism, prompting the government to make the Nazi salute punishable by a mandatory prison term earlier this year.
Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed Gruter's visa cancellation, emphasizing, If you are on a visa, you are a guest. If you're a citizen, you're a full member of the Australian family. Like with any household, if a guest turns up to show hatred and wreck the household, they can be told it's time to go home.
Gruter, a civil engineer by profession, moved to Australia with his wife and is reported to be a senior member of the National Socialist Network, a prominent neo-Nazi group in Australia. Protesters at the rally chanted blood and honour, a slogan associated with the Hitler Youth, and the demonstration lasted less than 20 minutes and was legally authorized.
