A fourth man has been charged after a violent neo-Nazi attack on Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne’s Kings Domain - a sacred First Nations protest site that has stood for nearly two decades as a symbol of survival, culture and sovereignty.
Victoria Police confirmed a 29-year-old man from Rye was arrested in Mount Eliza on Wednesday and has been charged with violent disorder, affray, unlawful assault and discharging a missile.
He is due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
Three other men, including neo-Nazi figure Thomas Sewell, were arrested earlier this week.
Sewell faces 25 charges and has been remanded in custody while a magistrate considers bail.
A sacred fire under attack
Sunday’s attack occurred shortly after the “March for Australia” anti-immigration rally in Melbourne’s CBD, attended by far-right and white supremacist groups.
Videos shared online show black-clad men storming Camp Sovereignty, stomping on the Sacred Fire and an Aboriginal flag, shouting abuse and physically assaulting people.
Organisers said the assault appeared to deliberately target women, leaving four people injured.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed a woman in her 30s was taken to hospital with upper body injuries.
The Sacred Fire at Camp Sovereignty was first lit during the 2006 Commonwealth Games by the Black GST (Genocide, Sovereignty, Treaty) movement.
It has been reignited in recent years as a place of gathering, ceremony and resistance.
For many, it is not only a cultural space but a reminder that Aboriginal sovereignty was never ceded.
Broader concerns over far-right extremism
During Sewell’s court hearing, police argued he posed an “unacceptable risk to the community,” citing the violent history of his white supremacist network.
Officers said the group has a “documented history of hate crimes” and the capacity to inflict “serious injury or death” on those who oppose them.
For many First Nations people, the Camp Sovereignty assault is not just an isolated incident but part of a wider rise in racist violence, emboldened by far-right groups.
Police investigations are ongoing and authorities have urged anyone with information or footage of the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.
