Residents of a town on the New South Wales-Victoria border were outraged after 50 masked men, suspected of being white supremacists, marched through the streets chanting offensive slogans.
The group first gathered outside the Corowa RSL around midday on Saturday, with members holding a large banner reading “white man fight back”.
The figures, dressed head to toe in black and wearing balaclavas, chanted white supremacist slogans including “Australia for the white man” before marching to the town’s war memorial.
New South Wales police said the crowd of about 50 people was “dispersed” by officers after reports of an unauthorised gathering.
“No arrests have been made,” NSW police said in a statement.
‘While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.’
Community members criticised the group on social media, calling the gathering “disgusting”.
“What a terrible event in our community,” one person said.
About 50 masked men were seen marching through Corowa, on the New South Wales-Victoria border, on Saturday, chanting white supremacist slogans
A figure associated with the white supremacist movement in Victoria, who was posted on X, claimed the march was because the local pork industry had been bought up by multinationals.
He these companies were ‘importing’ workers.
Shocked residents reportedly told the group to leave as soon as the march began.
“As we were walking through the RSL car park there were a number of locals gathered there saying we don’t want racist people here and to go home,” Corowa resident Kendra Smith told the ABC.
She believed the group was not from the area as she had never seen anyone like them in her town before.
“It was horrifying because we have a lot of people of colour here, it’s just disgusting,” Ms Smith said.
“We heard one of them say to a young boy from the area… I’m not sure what his ethnicity is… ‘P**s off you stink’ – he would have been 14.
The figures, dressed from head to toe in black, were heard chanting white supremacist slogans before marching to the city’s war memorial.
NSW Police said investigations into the incident were ongoing.