To the discontent of many of Australia’s residents, a white power festival will be held for the Neo-Nazi population in a secret location in Queensland’s Gold Coast this May.
The Annual Hammerhead Festival will be held on the 4th of May, by the Southern Cross Hammerskins – a Australian branch of a US-based white supremacist group – and city officials are currently powerless to prevent the festival from going ahead.
As The Courier Mail reports, the event is described on a popular Neo-Nazi website as “a massive event on the white calender with great bands, great atmosphere and a great weekend… in one of Australia’s top holiday destinations,” to be revealed to groups of the white supremacist movement.
Although the Queensland council is appalled by the white power group’s existence in Australia and New Zealand, there is currently no law or indication that the existence of the local Neo-Nazi population is a criminal offence.
The festival promoters, Britain based white power organisation Blood and Honour, have already been banned in countries including Germany, Spain, and Russia. Self proclaimed “national socialist” band Open Season is among the lineup for the upcoming festival, next to the likes of Ravenous and The Commieknockers.
As Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens says, “unfortunately in society there are always recalcitrant elements representing views which have nothing to do with mainstream society and the Gold Coast does not appreciate them coming to our doorstep.”“These people are an absolute minority of lunatics and I wish they would take their conference elsewhere.” – Ray Stevens, Mermaid Beach MP
“These people are an absolute minority of lunatics and I wish they would take their conference elsewhere,” he said, clearly voicing his position that the festival and its interstate attendees were not welcome in Queensland’s city.
Mr Stevens has also voiced his concerns that outlawing the neo-nazi groups under the State Government’s Criminal Organisation Act could brand any other groups targeted under the Act as a criminal organisation. Falling under this banner would be any motorcycle groups such as the Gold Coast Finks, which is currently being persued under the Criminal Organisation Act.
According to a police spokesperson, although the festival has the right to go ahead, there are a number of laws, “both state and local,” that require the organisers of public gatherings to “ensure public safety and amenity.” Police have labelled the event as a council and State Government issue, saying “these laws are governed predominantly by local councils and as long as the group abides by the law, it is not a police issue.”
It’s not the first time the appearance of the Hammered Music Festival has ruffled locals’ feathers.
Rob Messenger, the local MP at the time, last year initiated a parliamentary e-petition that called on the Bligh Government to ban and punish Neo-Nazi groups. The petition was rejected by the Newman Government, and the former Labour administration, despite receiving 1940 signatures condoning the change.
The Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie made a statement following the rejection of this petition, saying that “The Queensland Government will not ban this festival, but any attendees who incite or commit violence or racism will be dealt with by the police,” making clear that the Government do not condone “neo-nazi or extremist beliefs.”
As a police spokesperson commented on last year’s Hammered Music Festival, ”Police are aware of the festival in question. However, until such a time that a law is broken or a complaint is made, it is not a police issue,” the spokesperson said. “…As long as the group abides by the law, it is not a police issue.” – QLD Police Spokeperson
As if the extreme nature of the festival isn’t enough to formulate concern, the volatile nature of its clientele certainly is. Particularly following the St Patricks Day incident earlier this year involving a member of the Dropkick Murphys who began a brawl with a concert-goer making a Nazi salute at the front of a busy crowd, reports the Boston Magazine.
Bassist Ken Casey violently punched a skinhead man making a heil Hitler salute at the front of the stage at a St Patricks Day concert in New York, hitting him with his bass guitar, which initiated a huge brawl on stage (with footage soon surfacing online). At the end of the fight, Casey walked to the front of the stage and announced in the microphone that “Nazis are not fucking welcome at a Dropkick Murphys show.”
The location of the Hammerhead Festival and other similar festivals held in the past remain to have a top secret location, ultimately to avoid any backlash from angry anti-Neo Nazi protestors. The safety of all concert attendees currently relies on the heavy monitoring of the event by police and council representatives.
As a member of the media we think the freedom of speech is important, but we also believe in the power of equality and not condoning discrimination. Its important that members of the music community are made aware of the stances and political beliefs of those they are working with.
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