Harrison McLean, of the anti-lockdown group Melbourne Freedom Rally, said he was delighted by the resulting footage they posted because it had been seen by so many people and portrayed his group as lacking “malice”.
The filmed stunts were designed as “election influencing actions”, Harrison said, to make it seem as if politicians were unwilling to answer “reasonable questions”. “I’m pretty happy with the result.”
He claimed the group was informed about where Albanese would be staying via “private intel”. “I was in a team, and we did have info, but that’s about all I can say about that,” McLean said.
Daniel Jones, who runs a self-defence outfit, has posted pictures and videos of himself wielding guns and even rocket launchers online.Credit: Facebook
Several members of the online discussion made antisemitic slurs throughout the livestream, and McLean admitted to being the owner of a social media account responsible for a series of posts discussing how best to introduce anti-lockdown campaigners to more extreme antisemitic views, as first reported by The Guardian and seen by this masthead.
The other man who claimed credit for confronting Albanese at the hotel then was Daniel Jones, a self-defence enthusiast who has posted footage of himself online wielding machineguns and rocket launchers.
Jones has previously been pictured with neo-Nazis, including at events and gym training sessions run by the Lads Society, founded by neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell. Jones has since said he doesn’t support Nazism himself and Albanese was never in any danger from his approach. He declined requests for comment.
So far, none of the disruptors have been violent but an event in Kooyong descended into chaos on Wednesday when white supremacist Matt Trihey gatecrashed it and ranted about immigration. Trihey is a former member of the Lads Society, though the self-described “nationalist” has publicly denied being a neo-Nazi.
Earlier that day McLean, who has previously associated with the Proud Boys, had also heckled Teal independent Monique Ryan in a filmed stunt.
The intrusions led to Australian Federal Police turning out in force at another candidate forum held by Jewish groups in the same electorate on Thursday night.
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The White Rose Society, an online activist cooperative that tracks the extreme right, said its research suggested the stunts disrupting the campaign were “highly coordinated among a network of fascists and neo-Nazis who are already well known to each other”.
McLean did not answer questions, including about his association with far-right actors or how the stunts were being organised. But he previously told this masthead he was asking genuine questions of candidates at the Kooyong forum.
Anti-fascist researcher Dr Kaz Ross said most of the first accounts to post footage of the stunts were run by a clutch of far-right figures known to have associated with neo-Nazis.
Analysis by this masthead of the Albanese incident last week found those behind the accounts initially sharing the footage had either been pictured alongside neo-Nazis at recent events or were themselves former members of the same clubs such as the Lads Society.
“Clearly these are not concerned citizens stumbling across politicians out in the street,” said Ross. “Just because these people seem ridiculous, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take them seriously.”
Neo-Nazis protesting outside senator James Paterson’s office.Credit: X
ASIO, the AFP and both major parties said they could not comment on security, which had already been ramped up for the 2025 campaign.
Sources within the Coalition said they were caught off guard by the sophistication of protesters infiltrating their press conferences at closed locations in the first days of the election campaign.
Security services give guidance to MPs offices on how to handle people who appear to be a physical danger, but that doesn’t extend to those who are merely disruptive.
There have also been open neo-Nazi propaganda ploys during the campaign, such as when Hersant and his group rallied outside the office of Liberal senator James Paterson.
In February, ASIO chief Mike Burgess warned: “We expect nationalist and racist violent extremists to continue their efforts to ‘mainstream’ and expand their movement. They will undertake provocative, offensive and increasingly high-profile acts to generate publicity and recruit.”
Asked about the hotel confrontations on the campaign trial, Albanese said he had “faith in the AFP” to keep politicians safe.
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