Lads Society

Lads Society
PredecessorUnited Patriots Front
Australian Defence League
Reclaim Australia
SuccessorNational Socialist Network
European Australia Movement
Formation2017; 7 years ago (2017)
FounderThomas Sewell
Defunct2020; 4 years ago (2020)[citation needed]
TypeWhite nationalist organisation
PurposeNeo-Nazism, White nationalism
Chairman
Thomas Sewell
AffiliationsUnited Patriots Front, Antipodean Resistance, Soldiers of Odin, Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party, True Blue Crew, Reclaim Australia
Formerly called
United Patriots Front
Split from Reclaim Australia

The Lads Society is an Australian far-right, white nationalist, Islamophobic extremist group founded by several former members of the United Patriots Front (UPF) in late 2017. It established club houses in Sydney and Melbourne.[1][2] The Lads Society came to national prominence after it staged a rally in St Kilda, Victoria, targeting the local African Australian community. Attendees were seen making the Nazi salute and one was photographed wearing an SS helmet.[1]

In 2017, the group's leader, New Zealand-born[3] Thomas Sewell asked Brenton Harrison Tarrant (who would later become the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings) to join the Lads Society, but Tarrant refused.[4] The group's members and allies attempted to infiltrate the Young Nationals in New South Wales, and engaged in branch stacking at the May 2018 conference. Lads Society members attained leadership positions in the Young Nationals, but were later forced out of the party.[5] The Melbourne Chapter has since become the National Socialist Network.

  1. ^ a b Campion, Kristy (April 2019). "A "Lunatic Fringe"? The Persistence of Right Wing Extremism in Australia". Perspectives on Terrorism. 13 (2): 12–13. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. ^ Kaye, Byron; Allard, Tom (4 April 2019). "New clues emerge of accused New Zealand gunman Tarrant's ties to far right groups". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference vids was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Begley, Patrick (2 May 2019). "Threats from white extremist group that 'tried to recruit Tarrant'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  5. ^ Koziol, Michael (31 October 2018). "Nationals members resign en masse amid investigation into neo-Nazi ties". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.