United Patriots Front
The United Patriots Front (UPF) (German: United Patriotic Front ) is a right-wing extremist , Islamophobic and racist group in Australia , which split off from the right-wing extremist and Islamophobic Reclaim Australia in 2015 . The main focus of its actions and demonstrations is on the Australian state of Victoria . This is the main difference from right-wing extremist Reclaim Australia, which is trying to spread across Australia.
The UPF achieved worldwide attention in January 2019 because Brenton Tarrant , who carried out the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch , New Zealand , posted more than 30 comments on the Facebook pages of the UPF and the right-wing organization True Blue Crew , including the UPF and the leader Blair Cottrell as "Emperor" (German: Kaiser ) praised. The founder of the UPF Shermon Burgess and Neil Erikson, another leading UPF member, Tarrant described as "useful idiots" (German: "useful idiots"). The Facebook page has since been deleted.
UPF openly expresses solidarity with foreign fascist organizations such as the Golden Dawn in Greece.
The Australian secret service has been watching the United Patriots Front with keen interest since 2015, according to their statements.
politics
founding
Shermon Burgess founded the UPF in 2015 after a dispute with the so-called organizers of Reclaim Australia . He resigned from the UPF and then announced that he did so because members of the UPF created and posted a parody of a video that offended him. After him, Blair Cottrell took over the UPF. The UPF is made up of right-wing extremists, anti-Semites and fundamentalist Christians. Their policies are directed against Islam , against Jews , immigration policy in Australia and Australian multiculturalism .
Political leadership
The UPF is led by a team of three spokespeople: The organization is dominated by Blair Cottrell, who was imprisoned for four months for stalking and arson. Blair Cottrell has been described in the Australian press as "anti-women, anti-Muslim, anti-Jew and pro-Nazi" (German: "misogynist, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic and Nazi"). Cottrell also demanded that every school in Australia should have a portrait of Adolf Hitler and that every student in Australia should be given Hitler's Mein Kampf to read so that they could understand Hitler's point of view. There is also Neil Erikson, who was convicted of stalking a rabbi . The third leader is Christopher Shortis, who describes himself as a "biblical crusader" (German: "biblical crusader") and has posed with weapons on various occasions on the Internet.
activities
The United Patriots Front, which describes itself as the "patriotic street movement" (German: "patriotic street movement"), stands out above all for its militant demeanor. During their demonstrations, there are often violent clashes with counter-demonstrators, in which the police intervene.
In January 2019, Fraser Anning , an independent Senator in the Australian Parliament, took part in a demonstration by the United Patriots Front and gave a speech. In 2018, Anning described the removal of all Muslims from Australia as the “final solution”. He used to be u. a. a member of several political parties, including One Nation Australia . 50 demonstrators took part in the UPF event, and they met 100 counter-demonstrators.
After anti-Islamic activities, Cottrell, Erikson and Shortis each had to pay a fine of AUD 2000 for violating the Racidal and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 on October 4, 2017 . It is a law against religious discrimination. In an action documented on video, they beheaded a doll with a plastic sword. This happened in front of a building in which the construction of a mosque in Bendigo was being discussed.
Another video of these three people shows a man chanting “Allahu Akbar” and leaving bloody footprints on the pavement and on a wall.
The three UPF executives are known as the “United Patriots Front Trio” for their actions against the construction of the Bendigo Mosque.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Alex Mann et al: Christchurch shooting accused Brenton Tarrant supports Australian far-right figure Blair Cottrell (English), from March 23, 2019, on Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved April 26, 2019
- ↑ a b Bianca Hall: Far-right group UPF plans to run for Senate and campaign on right to 'bare arms' (English), from September 15, 2015, on The Age. Retrieved April 26, 2019
- ↑ a b Luke McMahon: Gun-toting anti-Muslim 'crusader' at lead of United Patriots Front (English), November 7, 2015, on the Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved April 26, 2019
- ↑ Video mocks Shermon Burgess who quit United Patriots Front leadership - video (English), October 15, 2015, on The Guardian . Retrieved April 26, 2019
- ↑ a b c Revealed: The vile sexist and racist tirades of anti-Islam leader who beheaded a dummy in a mosque protest and wants portraits of HITLER in every Australian classroom (English), October 15, 2015, on Daily News. Retrieved April 22, 2019
- ↑ Paul Karp: Australian senator who called for 'final solution' to immigration expelled from party (English), from October 25, 2018, on The Guardian . Retrieved April 14, 2019
- ↑ United Patriots Front trio found guilty of inciting serious contempt of Muslims , on The Guardian
- ↑ James Oaten: Far-right nationalists found guilty of inciting serious contempt for Muslims after mock beheading video , September 5, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2019
- ↑ United Patriots Front trio found guilty of inciting serious contempt of Muslims , September 17, 2017, on The Guardian . Retrieved April 26, 2019